Renewed Tarik Skubal trade rumors could be big win for Guardians

The Tigers’ arbitration saga with Tarik Skubal keeps going from bad to worse. 

After initially getting a look into the tense relationship between Skubal and the Tigers earlier this offseason when we found out how far apart the two sides were in contract talks, things reached a fever pitch earlier this month when the two sides were unable to settle on a contract for 2026. 

And while that means the two sides will need to go to arbitration to figure out a contract for next season (which could damage Detroit’s relationship with Skubal even more), it also adds some renewed fuel to the fire around rumors that Skubal could be traded before the start of next season. 

Skubal has become public enemy No. 1 in Cleveland thanks to his exploits against the Guardians, but the saga surrounding him and his contract is a good reminder that he may not be in the Guardians’ way for much longer. 

Although the Tigers likely won’t trade Skubal until after his arbitration hearing (which needs to take place before Feb. 13), nothing that’s happened to him across the past four months makes it seem like there’s a long-term future for him in Detroit.  

On Thursday, MLB.com insider Mark Feinsand published a story about Skubal that featured numerous quotes from anonymous MLB insiders that shined a little more light into what the rest of the baseball world thinks of the Skubal saga. 

Guardians fans should be happy that Tarik Skubal’s name continues to float in trade rumors 

The biggest takeaway from Feinsand’s story is that it seems like Skubal still has some kind of trade market, though it likely wouldn’t come until after his arbitration is settled since it’s hard to believe a team would trade for him and then immediately go to court. 

His salary could go a long way toward getting him traded as well, as it would be a lot easier for Detroit to trade him if he’s making $20ish million in 2026 (the figure that Detroit submitted) compared to $32 million (the figure he submitted). 

Skubal has won back-to-back American League Cy Young awards and could end up becoming the highest-paid pitcher in MLB history whenever he hits free agency, but it seems like the Tigers aren’t willing to pay him what he’s worth. 

As Feinsand mentioned, there’s a bit of a precedent for this, as the Dodgers traded for Mookie Betts in February 2020 a couple weeks after he and the Red Sox settled on a $27 million deal via arbitration. That ended becoming a moot point since the Dodgers signed him to a 12-year, $365 million extension. 

It’s hard to believe Skubal would sign at extension considering he’s represented by mega-agent Scott Boras, but he’d have no shortage of suitors in trade talks if the Tigers do end up dealing him at some point. 

Even if the Tigers don’t trade Skubal before the start of the season, the buzz around him getting dealt would begin to bubble up again around the trade deadline.