The Detroit Tigers season has gone horribly in 2022. The team is battling to be better than 20 games under .500, and injuries have ravaged their team.
Detroit has pieces to trade before the August 2nd trade deadline. Mainly in their bullpen, with names such as Joe Jimenez, Michael Fulmer, and Andrew Chafin likely to be on the move before 6 PM EST Tuesday.
However, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal recently reported the team is listening to trade offers on "just about everyone," including one very surprising name.
Goodbye Tarik?
According to Rosenthal, the Tigers are willing to trade 25-year-old southpaw Tarik Skubal. Skubal has been the Tigers' best pitcher this season and is seemingly their only starting pitcher who has avoided the injury bug.
"Early in the season, left-hander Tarik Skubal was perhaps the Tigers' biggest bright spot, producing a 2.33 ERA in his first 11 starts. He then went through a rough patch for five outings before recovering in his most recent three. Yet, even with several of the Tigers' other young starters on the injured list, the team is willing to trade him, according to rival executives with multiple clubs," Rosenthal writes.
Opportunistic Aspirations
Rosenthal mentions that one source relayed to him the Tigers don't necessarily want to move their young budding star. However, they may try to take advantage of the market for starting pitching.
"The Tigers "gave us a blanket that just about everyone is available," one official said. Another speculated the Tigers are trying to be opportunistic and extract a big return for Skubal from teams that might strike out on the Reds' Luis Castillo and the Athletics' Frankie Montas, the best starting pitchers known to be available," Rosenthal writes.
To that end, one of the top pitchers is already off the market. The Seattle Mariners acquired Castillo from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for four prospects, including top prospect Noelvi Marte.
Potential Suitors
While no teams are known to be specifically linked to Skubal directly, Rosenthal mentioned a few teams interested in adding starting pitching before Tuesday's deadline.
"The Dodgers, Cardinals, and other contenders are not the only teams in the market for starting pitching. Postseason longshots such as the Rangers and Orioles want to add rotation help for 2023 and beyond," Rosenthal writes.
Skubal is arbitration eligible following the 2023 season and is under team control until the end of the 2026 season.
Is A Move Likely?
According to MLB insider Jon Morosi, the Tigers are looking for a big return in exchange for their 25-year-old southpaw. Morosi reports the Tigers are looking for "multiple high-impact players, at or near MLB level."
Whether a move is likely is unclear. ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Wednesday that multiple general managers told him that Skubal was expected to move. However, conflicting reports have emerged since claiming the opposite.
Only time will tell whether Skubal is dealt. August 2nd will certainly be an interesting day for Tigers fans, regardless.
]]>The Inquisitr
