Tarik Skubal and the Detroit Tigers are eons apart on a potential contract extension, which only increases the likelihood that the superstar ace will be on the trade market sooner rather than later.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that Detroit’s most recent offer to the southpaw, who is on the verge of winning his second straight American League Cy Young Award, was at four years and under $80 million. Such a figure is below the classification of a non-competitive offer, considering the Boston Red Sox inked their ace, Garrett Crochet, on a six-year, $170 million pact last winter.
Skubal, who will be a free agent following the 2026 season, is worth even more than that. If there is zero indication that a resolution is possible, the Tigers’ best course of action is to trade him and receive a king’s ransom in return. Such a notion is easier said than done, though, considering they have made the postseason in each of the last two seasons after nine straight playoff-less campaigns.
Should Skubal’s name reach the market, the Mets are considered significant players to watch. They are in desperate need of elite pitching to team up with Nolan McLean moving forward after their rotation fell apart over the final three-and-a-half months of the season.
While David Stearns has been hesitant to trade some of his top prospects, he would have to abandon that philosophy to land a starter like Skubal — and it would be warranted. The 28-year-old posted a 2.21 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP with 241 strikeouts this season after winning his first Cy Young crown in 2024, in which he went 18-4 with a 2.39 ERA.
