The Dodgers’ latest outlook has given the Tigers a reason to keep dreaming about Tarik Skubal.
In ESPN’s offseason forecast, Alden Gonzalez does not expect Los Angeles to lock in a massive Skubal extension before Dec. 1.
That read is tied to the uncertainty around baseball’s next economic system, with the current collective bargaining agreement nearing expiration and a lockout possible. It’s a timing call, not a declaration that the Dodgers won’t ever make their move.
For Detroit, though, that opens a door. If Los Angeles stays cautious, the Tigers could have a chance to step in - especially if Skubal wants his next deal settled before any work stoppage chatter turns real.
The idea is not built on wishful thinking alone. Skubal has already said he’d be open to it.
"I would love to return," he said during an August appearance on Pardon My Take, as Tigers On SI covered when examining his free-agency hopes.
That came after Detroit traded him to Los Angeles, and it sure sounded like the split hadn’t erased his connection to the organization where he became a two-time American League Cy Young Award winner.
There’s a clean baseball argument for the Tigers, too. A reunion would bring back their former ace while allowing them to keep the players they received in the trade. That would bolster the rotation without forcing another prospect package out the door.
Still, the market picture is far from simple. In his Oct. 2 survey of industry insiders, ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel listed Detroit as one of the possible contenders, alongside the Dodgers and New York Mets. But he also noted that insiders more often saw the Tigers as a team on the outskirts of the chase.
That’s the key distinction. There’s a believable link between Skubal and Detroit. There just isn’t enough public reporting to call the Tigers the front-runners.
Skubal’s own words give the front office something real to work with. They do not mean he’ll take a discount to make it happen.
McDaniel’s 27 contract projections averaged eight years and $355 million. That number is only an industry forecast, but it shows the kind of commitment this chase could demand.
Detroit has already shown it can spend on pitching. Its three-year, $115 million deal with Framber Valdez was a major investment. A Skubal contract near the projected range would be a very different level of bet - longer, bigger, and far more demanding.
And the Tigers have other business to handle, too. President of baseball operations Scott Harris has described free agency as a way to supplement Detroit’s developing core. Going after Skubal would test just how far ownership wants to push that approach while still leaving room for other upgrades.
The same labor uncertainty hanging over Los Angeles also affects Detroit. The Tigers can’t count on the next economic setup making Skubal cheaper, and they can’t assume other teams will back off.
So the path is pretty straightforward: make a serious offer, make it early, and make it competitive enough to matter. If Detroit is willing to go near the top of the market, Skubal’s openness to coming back gives the Tigers something to build on.
If the plan is built around a hometown discount, the Dodgers’ hesitation won’t do much for them.
A reunion is at least worth taking seriously. Whether it actually happens will come down to one thing: if Detroit is ready to match Skubal’s interest with the kind of money that can win the race.
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Tigers Fans May Need To Rethink The Tarik Skubal Trade
Tarik Skubals exit from Detroit looked like the kind of move that only makes sense in the harsh math of a lost season. The Tigers dealt the injured left-hander to the Dodgers after he went down with an elbow issue and the club slipped out of playoff contention, getting three players back in a trade that was framed around restocking for the future.
Now the picture may not be so simple. With Los Angeles out of the NLCS and a looming MLB lockout hanging over the market, there is growing speculation the Dodgers might not rush into a long-term commitment for Skubal, which could leave the door open for free agency sooner than expected. If Detroits return produces even one legitimate major leaguer, the deal could start to look like a sharper bit of business than it did on the day it was made. [Read more 🡒]