The Tigers are staring at the kind of deadline decision that can tilt a division, and the White Sox have a stake in every possible outcome.
Detroit enters Wednesday’s series finale against the Cubs at 47-54, sitting 6.5 games behind the White Sox and Guardians in the AL Central and five games out in the Wild Card chase. That gap is still manageable with 61 games left, but the road ahead is crowded.
The Seattle Mariners, Baltimore Orioles, Minnesota Twins, and Houston Astros are all between the Tigers and the current third Wild Card spot, held by the Boston Red Sox. Detroit has played better lately, going 25-16 since June 1, but the climb is still steep.
That puts the Tigers in a tough spot for a club that came into the year with World Series expectations. And the biggest call of all centers on Tarik Skubal.
The two-time reigning Cy Young winner is set to hit free agency after the season, and the source material says he is unlikely to sign an extension with Detroit. He has missed time with injuries this year, but when he’s on the mound, he remains one of the league’s most overpowering pitchers.
If the Tigers decide to move him, they’d bring back a major haul. If they keep him, they’re betting on a late surge and risking losing him for nothing.
The White Sox, though, can benefit from either version of that decision.
If Detroit trades Skubal, it signals a step back from the 2025 chase and removes one more threat from the White Sox’s path in the AL Central. It would also take a dangerous arm out of the division, and possibly out of the American League altogether. If the Tigers instead hold onto him, they’d be trying to patch together a run while also knowing they could lose him this offseason.
And that second scenario may be the one White Sox fans would enjoy most. Detroit is in better shape than it was a few weeks ago, but the odds still lean toward missing the postseason.
If the Tigers keep Skubal and then lose him in free agency, they could wind up empty-handed. The source material also notes that with uncertainty around the Collective Bargaining Agreement and the qualifying offer, Detroit may not even receive a compensation pick.
For a White Sox team expected to buy for the first time in several seasons, the Tigers’ next move matters. Skubal is not going to be pitching on the South Side in October, but White Sox fans could still come out ahead if he’s not pitching for Detroit either.
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White Sox Hit Another Low Point In Blowout That Got Bizarre
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Trevor Richards and Tyler Schweitzer only deepened the damage in relief, combining to give up seven hits and five runs as the Rangers kept stacking traffic and extra-base damage. By the time the game drifted into the late innings, the White Sox were chasing a mess that had gone from ugly to unusual, and the final score only hinted at how quickly it had slipped away. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Are Starting To See A Different Murakami At The Plate
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White Sox Farm Night Brings One Encouraging Charlotte Sign
Charlottes night offered the White Sox system its most encouraging note, even if the rest of the farm report was a mixed bag. The Knights pulled out a 7-6 win over Norfolk after a comeback that gave the organization a glimpse of some needed offense, while Birmingham took a rough 13-4 loss to Montgomery and the other affiliates split their own lopsided results across the board.
The Charlotte rally was the one worth circling for White Sox followers, especially with rehabbing big leaguer Austin Hays in the middle of it and Andy Weber and Nolan Jones also helping push the Knights back into the game. Elsewhere, the Barons were buried by a pitching staff that couldnt stop Montgomery from piling on, while Kannapolis and Winston-Salem each had their own stretches of resistance before the game flow tilted away from them. [Read more 🡒]