Tigers ace Tarik Skubal is the biggest name in the rumor mill ahead of the trade deadline, and he has been connected with the Yankees, but the two-time Cy Young winner has made it clear he does not want to be dealt.
Speaking with the media Thursday afternoon, including The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen, Skubal said that his desire is to stay in Detroit for the remainder of the 2026 season.
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“I think we have a chance to win a World Series,” Skubal said. “I’ve said that since spring training. That’s never changed. That belief in this team has never changed throughout the season. … Going into spring training, the whole offseason, I’ve never been more motivated to try to win a World Series for this city, the team that drafted me in 2018 and helped develop me. That’s always been the goal, and that will never change unless I’m told I’m on a different team.”
Skubal is an impending free agent and many in the industry believe that his price tag will be too much for the Tigers in the offseason. However, what complicates matters is Detroit’s recent string of wins. Following Thursday’s 4-3 victory over the Royals, Detroit is 27-16 since June 1 and sits 6.0 games behind the White Sox for the AL Central lead and 4.0 games back of the third Wild Card spot.
In a weak AL, the Tigers are certainly not out of the playoff hunt.
As for the Yankees side of things, many in the industry believe New York has the assets Detroit is looking for in a potential Skubal deal. The Athletic’s Will Sammon and Ken Rosenthal reported earlier this week that Detroit is looking for a controllable starting pitcher plus quality prospects. Among the list of teams, which includes the Dodgers, Brewers, Rays, Phillies and Braves, the Yankees have what the Tigers could use in Will Warren or Ryan Weathers.
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But with the Yankees getting Max Fried back, the priority seems to be in bolstering the bullpen and picking up a right-handed bat, preferably a catcher.
In any case, how the Tigers handle the Skubal situation by the Aug. 3 deadline, or whether the Yankees will pursue Skubal, is unclear, and the southpaw doesn’t expect a conversation with the front office about his future with the club.
“Those questions are not for me,” Skubal said. “I don’t know how they handle the business on that side. Been around it a couple times and (other players) didn’t have any idea until about five minutes before you guys did. I assume that’s how it’s going to be handled because that’s how most things are handled.”
Skubal is set to take the mound for the Tigers on Friday, in what could be his final start with Detroit.
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