Scott Harris has spent nearly four years reshaping the Tigers through trades with a sell-side mindset, and the Tarik Skubal deal now sits at the center of that entire record.
That matters because the return for Skubal was never going to be judged like the typical deadline flip. Detroit didn’t move a rental reliever or a spare veteran.
It dealt a homegrown ace, a back-to-back American League Cy Young Award winner and the face of the franchise. The Tigers sent him to Los Angeles for outfielder Zyhir Hope and right-handers River Ryan and Brady Smith, and the package will now define much more than one transaction.
Harris’ track record entering that move was mixed at best. Jon Morosi noted over the weekend that Harris has made “sell” trades with five different organizations since taking control of the Tigers nearly four years ago: the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, and Texas Rangers. The returns have not stacked up well.
The clearest win on the board is Hao-Yu Lee, who came from Philadelphia in exchange for two months of Michael Lorenzen in 2023. Lee, now 23, has turned into a productive major-league infielder. He entered Sunday batting .267 with six home runs and a .721 OPS in his rookie season.
After that, the list gets thin fast.
Harris’ first trade as Tigers president sent Joe Jiménez to Atlanta for Justyn-Henry Malloy and Jake Higginbotham. Malloy never took hold in Detroit and was moved to Tampa Bay for cash this offseason, while Higginbotham never became a meaningful piece of the pitching staff.
The deal that brought back Eric Silva from San Francisco has not delivered much either. Silva is 23 and has a 7.29 ERA and 1.79 WHIP at Double-A Erie this season.
Detroit’s two trades with Texas brought in Liam Hicks, Tyler Owens, Joseph Montalvo and Chase Lee for Carson Kelly and Andrew Chafin. Owens got a brief look in the majors, but none of those players have become important parts of the roster. Lee was later traded to Toronto, and injuries have slowed Montalvo’s progress.
Even the Jack Flaherty trade, once a bright spot, looks less certain now. Trey Sweeney helped steady shortstop during Detroit’s surprising 2024 playoff run, but he owns a .202/.261/.313 career slash line and has spent this season on the 60-day injured list. Thayron Liranzo is still intriguing, but he remains at Double-A and has dropped to No. 20 in Baseball America’s Tigers prospect rankings.
That is why the Skubal return lands under such a harsh spotlight. Hope comes in as MLB Pipeline’s No. 25 overall prospect, Ryan is ranked No. 68 but comes with significant injury risk, and Smith has posted a 4.36 ERA this season. There is upside in the group, but there is also a clear gap between that upside and the value of the pitcher Detroit just sent out the door.
Harris’ defenders can point to the normal patience required with prospects. Some of the Rangers and Dodgers returns could still grow into something meaningful, and Liranzo is still not finished developing. But front offices are ultimately measured by what shows up on the field, not by the promise attached to a name in a prospect ranking.
Detroit needed the Skubal trade to produce at least one foundational player. Hope, Ryan or Smith has to become someone who can help shape the Tigers’ next contender.
Harris has asked the organization to trust his process for nearly four years. After the Skubal deal, that process no longer has much room for error.
In Other News...
Tarik Skubal Trade Just Revealed What Tigers Valued Most
Two days before the MLB trade deadline, Tarik Skubals name moved from rumor to reality, and the deal that sent the Detroit ace to the Dodgers quickly invited a deeper look at what the Tigers were prioritizing. The Brewers were in the mix with a serious push of their own, and their proposal reportedly centered on Luis Pea, a premium prospect whose presence alone signaled how aggressively Milwaukee tried to stay in the chase.
Detroit still chose Los Angeles package, a reminder that these negotiations are often about more than the biggest name at the top of the offer. The shape of the Brewers bid suggests the Tigers had multiple strong options on the table, but the final decision showed just how carefully they weighed upside, fit and the broader return before moving one of the most valuable arms on the market. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers Made One Deadline Choice Fans Will Be Debating For Months
Detroit spent the trade deadline making one move that will shape the conversation around this front office for a while, sending Tarik Skubal to the Dodgers in a deal that signaled a willingness to deal from the top of the roster. The Tigers also moved Casey Mize to the Padres, but the bigger takeaway was what did not happen next as the deadline kept moving and other teams kept dealing.
Several veterans stayed put, including Gleyber Torres, Kenley Jansen, Jack Flaherty and Kyle Finnegan, which left some around the club wondering whether Detroit should have pressed harder to cash in more of its short-term value. It was the kind of deadline that can look sensible in the moment and still invite second-guessing later, especially if the Tigers are trying to balance the present with a future that clearly mattered in these discussions. [Read more 🡒]