No one knows what the next 10 days will bring for Tarik Skubal, but he showcased his talents on Friday.
The Detroit Tigers ace struck out a season-high 12 in 7 1/3 innings against the Kansas City Royals, while allowing only 4 hits, 2 walks and 1 run on 91 pitches, in what could be some of his final innings in a Tigers uniform. The Tigers won 2-1.
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He exited the game in the eighth inning, to a standing ovation at Comerica Park.
Skubal still looms as the biggest name of the MLB trade deadline on Aug. 3. It remains to be seen if the Tigers trade him, a possibility that felt inevitable earlier in the season but now comes with some uncertainty now that the Tigers have gone 28-16 since June 1.
The pitcher himself knows it’s a distinct possibility, as he admitted to reporters Thursday that this start could be his final home appearance at Comerica Park.
There were some concerns about Skubal’s arm when he hit the injured list with loose bodies in his pitching elbow in May, but a novel procedure involving a needle-sized scope had him back in 38 days.
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Overall, Skubal’s stats have lagged behind the marks from his back-to-back Cy Young Award years, with the injury obviously not helping. However, he appears to have turned a corner in his past five starts, with a 1.45 ERA and 44 strikeouts against 19 hits and 4 walks in 30 1/3 innings.
If the Tigers trade Skubal, it will net them immense collection of young talent between prospects and controllable major-leaguers. Skubal likely raised that price on Friday, but made the decision no less easy.
Regardless of where he finishes the season, Skubal is set to hit free agency this winter and is widely expected to challenge Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s $325 million deal for the largest pitcher contract in MLB history.
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