Guardians ruined Tigers so badly it spurred Tarik Skubal trade rumors immediately

On Thursday, the Cleveland Guardians secured a series sweep over the Tigers with a domintant 3-1 victory. 

Not only did the win push the Guardians to a season-high eight games above .500, but it also dropped Detroit to the bottom of the American League Central with a 20-31 record.

It also may have brought about the end of the Tarik Skubal era in Detroit. Mere minutes after the game went final, MLB insiders Bob Nightengale and Jon Heyman both fired off tweets saying that Skubal could be traded soon thanks to the Tigers’ free fall. 

While any win over Detroit feels good for the Guardians, it probably feels even better when that win brings about a franchise-altering trade that would all but eliminate the Tigers from the postseason picture. 

It seems like a lock that the Tigers are going to trade Tarik Skubal

Skubal got off to another great start this season before he hit the injured list at the beginning of May with loose bodies in his pitching elbow. 

Although Skubal has been able to accelerate his rehab thanks to NanoNeedle surgery, the Tigers have gone 2-13 in his absence while falling further back in the playoff race. 

Last year the Tigers resisted trade overtures around Skubal, and he helped push them to the American League Division Series while also winning his second straight Cy Young Award. 

His relationship with the Tigers took a turn in the offseason thanks to the Tigers bungling his arbitration process, which ended with Skubal making a record $32 million this season and Detroit having egg on its face. 

That all would have been water under the bridge had the Tigers gotten off to a fast start this year, but their sluggish performance has shined even more of a light on Skubal impending departure. 

Now they’re faced with an easy decision: Trade Skubal to the highest bidder. It’s not going to go over well with the Tigers’ fanbase, but it’s the right decision for the long-term health of their franchise since the other alternative is letting him walk away for nothing. 

That hypothetical trade can’t happen soon enough for the Guardians, as Skubal’s posted a 2.33 ERA against Cleveland in his career along with having two fantastic starts against them in the postseason. 

While there’s always the chance the Tigers could trade Skubal to another AL team (imagining him on the Yankees is a scary thought), it’s not out of the realm of possibility that some National League team will overpay for him in an attempt to keep up with the Senior Circuit’s (literal) arms race. 

Last year the Guardians made a mad dash past Skubal and the Tigers to win the AL Central. This year’s battle between the two may be over already.

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