Tarik Skubal didn’t exactly slam the door on a Tigers reunion.
In an interview on the Pardon My Take podcast released Friday, Aug. 7, the left-hander said he’d be open to finding his way back to Detroit after being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday, Aug. 1. Skubal made it clear the move hit him hard, then floated the idea of eventually returning to the Tigers.
"I would love to play my whole career in Detroit. And hopefully those negotiations can pick back up in November once the playoffs are done," he said.
"Hopefully [the Tigers] are involved with everything. I would love to return.
I've got nothing but good things to say about the city of Detroit."
Skubal’s comments come with a little precedent. The Tigers previously brought back Jack Flaherty, who signed a two-year free agent deal with Detroit before the 2025 season after the club traded him to the Dodgers at the 2024 deadline. Flaherty went on to win a World Series with Los Angeles in 2024 - something Skubal hopes to do in 2026 - before ending up back in Detroit.
Still, the situation around Skubal looks different. The Tigers have not publicly signaled any willingness to make the kind of potentially record-setting offer it would take to land him. And with Skubal set to be the marquee free agent ahead of the 2027 season, there should be no shortage of teams willing to push the price higher, including the Dodgers.
Whether Detroit wants to go toe-to-toe with those bigger-spending clubs is an open question. But if the Tigers do decide to jump in, Skubal made it sound like he’d at least listen.
He also described just how much the trade stung. Skubal said he cried while saying goodbye to teammates.
"I hate crying, I don't cry a lot. When my wife walked down the aisl,e I didn't cry because I was so nervous, and I'm crying in a clubhouse with a bunch of other grown men saying bye to everybody and giving everybody a hug," he said.
On the field, Skubal’s Dodgers debut didn’t go as planned. He took the loss Tuesday, Aug. 4, allowing two earned runs over six innings in a 5-1 defeat to the Chicago Cubs. Meanwhile, the Dodgers entered Friday riding a season-high six-game losing streak, while the Tigers have won seven of eight to push back into the American League wild card conversation.
Even with the Dodgers stumbling, the betting picture still tilts heavily toward Los Angeles. FanGraphs gives the Dodgers a 22.9% chance to win the World Series, compared with 1.6% for the Tigers.
In Other News...
Tarik Skubal Talks Reveal The Tigers Price Milwaukee Wouldn't Meet
The Tarik Skubal talks at the trade deadline turned into a familiar kind of front-office stalemate, with Milwaukee circling one of the best arms available while Detroit listened. ESPNs Jeff Passan reported the Brewers had interest in landing the Tigers ace, but the sides never found a package that bridged the gap, a reminder that even a premium pitcher can be hard to pry loose when the asking price starts with the kind of young talent Milwaukee values so highly.
At the center of the impasse was the Brewers decision to keep their most prized prospects out of the discussion, a stance that speaks to how they view their long-term pipeline. For Detroit, that kind of resistance meant the market never quite got where it needed to go, and for a team weighing immediate help against future control, the Skubal pursuit ended with the Brewers holding onto the pieces they were least willing to move. [Read more 🡒]
Brady Smith Is Giving Tigers Fans A Reason To Revisit That Trade
Brady Smith is starting to look like the kind of arm that can make a trade haul feel a little more intriguing with time. The 21-year-old right-hander came to Detroit in the Tarik Skubal deal, and after missing time with Tommy John surgery, he is putting together his first healthy pro season with real signs of progress. His command has sharpened, his secondary pitches are playing better, and Baseball America already has him sitting as the Tigers No. 15 prospect.
Smiths next step is a move to high Single-A West Michigan, where the challenge gets a little more serious and the eyes on him will only get more interested. For Detroit, the appeal is obvious: a young pitcher with a live arm, improving control and a track record that suggests there may still be another level to reach. It is the sort of development path that can quietly alter how a trade is remembered, especially when the player in question is still just getting started. [Read more 🡒]