The Tigers’ trade deadline picture is still blurry, but one thing is clear: if Detroit ends up leaning toward a sell move in 2026, Tarik Skubal may not be the only starter worth putting on the board.
That idea runs against the obvious instinct. Skubal is the ace, the name that would draw the most attention, and the pitcher whose market would be the loudest if Detroit ever decided to listen.
But the case against moving him is already well known. He’s on an expiring contract, he’s just back from an elbow procedure, and any return would have to be massive to justify the risk.
Rival executives told FanSided’s Robert Murray that the asking price is at least one top-100 prospect and another team top-10 prospect.
For now, though, the Tigers are not in that kind of posture. They’ve had the best record in the American League since June 1, and the ugly month of May that once made them look like obvious sellers is no longer defining the season. Skubal and the rest of the rotation have helped push the club back into the race, and that alone makes a deadline teardown hard to sell.
If Detroit were to explore a different path, Framber Valdez is the more interesting name.
Valdez is under team control through at least 2027, with a player option for 2028, which gives him a very different kind of value than Skubal. He also hasn’t delivered the kind of season the Tigers were hoping for when they made the high-priced free-agent addition.
Through 18 starts, Valdez has a 4.29 ERA, his highest mark since 2019. He has allowed a combined nine runs over his last two outings, and that has pushed the ERA higher.
The numbers are only part of the story. Detroit knew it was taking on a pitcher with baggage, including a reputation that followed him out of Houston.
Valdez crossed up his own catcher last season with the Astros, and there was a reason he spent last winter trying - and in some cases failing - to convince potential free-agent suitors that he was a good person and teammate. The Tigers still bought in.
Then came early May, when Valdez intentionally threw a ball behind Red Sox infielder Trevor Story and denied doing so afterward.
Even with that history, Valdez still brings real value. He’s a two-time All-Star and was part of the Astros’ 2022 World Series run. His contract also looks far more manageable than whatever Skubal would command on the open market if another team had to pay to keep him.
That’s why, in some ways, Valdez could be the more practical trade piece if Detroit ever decides to pivot. He is not the better pitcher. But he may be the more movable frontline starter.
Right now, though, the Tigers don’t have a clean answer on what they want to be. That’s true for a lot of teams around baseball, especially in the American League, where the Wild Card race is wide open.
Detroit looked like a clear seller after that brutal May, but the rebound has changed the conversation. They’re now just four games out of a playoff spot, and dealing away Skubal, Valdez or any other meaningful piece at this stage would be front office malpractice.
What happens next likely depends on how they come out of the All-Star Break. A homestand against the Athletics and Phillies comes first, and then Detroit opens the second half on the road against Anaheim and the Chicago Cubs. That stretch should say plenty about where this team stands - and whether the clock eventually runs out on Skubal’s, and maybe Valdez’s, time in Detroit.
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