2026 Trade deadline

[Graterol]

20 minutes ago, Edman85 said:

More of a hypothetical, but I am curious what people think.

Let's say the Tigers go on a run but lose the World Series in 7, Skubal just shoving and shutting them down twice in the series, then closing down Game 7 in relief.

In that same scenario, Hope and Ryan both have good to great careers with the Tigers... talking 3-5 WAR seasons their whole time, Hope signs an extension and is a Tiger for 10+ years and becomes an all time great. But the Tigers do not win a World Series in that time.

In summary, they narrowly lose a World Series you can argue they would not have lost if they didn't trade Skubal to the team they lost to, but the return provides tremendous value going forward, but without winning a World Series. Did they win the trade in this scenario?

I have been thinking about this and ultimately I would still be pro trade. So much can play out differently. If they make it that far, it’s safe to say someone else on staff stepped up. Who knows how things would play out with Skubal and Mize. If they make the playoffs, regardless of what happens, I would consider deadline a positive. For some reason I am even more engaged on this season without Skubal and Mize. Ultimately baseball is just a form of entertainment and I enjoy in equal parts rooting for the present team and dreaming on the future, so right now I find this season as the best of both of those worlds.

[papalawrence]

Foul Territory national went in depth to argue why the Dodgers offer was best. If Milwaukee wanted him they needed to add another top prospect.

[chasfh]

3 hours ago, kdog said:

Rays 2nd and 3rd prospects were catchers..Tigers went with a needs based approach and that's why the Dodgers won.

Although this (really great) article claims that they didn’t trade out of need, but rather just went for whatever the best available talent was, I find that to be just a little hard to believe.

Nevertheless, it became clear to us even before we read the article that the tigers traded to fulfill the needs they have for the next couple of years. A few additional thoughts I have:

• The point that they make about the Tigers wanted to avoid a collapsing Skubal market makes all kinds of sense, although I also think they wanted to move him Saturday so they could clear that deck and focus on moving Mize for the best return possible. It might have been a little much to expect them to do both simultaneously going all the way to the last minute on Monday.
• Passan seems to confirm here that there’s little chance the Tigers could’ve gotten more for Skubal this past winter—if they were even foolish enough to try to move him at all—than they would’ve at the deadline. The reason is obvious: there’s simply no urgency for top contending teams to empty out the top of their farm system for even the top player in the game during the winter, when winning at all still seems possible with what you have in house.
• Passan also seems to confirm that Harris did not make the decision to trade Skubal until collapse against the Orioles last week. I still don’t believe it, but I guess we’re gonna have to take that one into history with us.
• It’s really galling that the Dodgers will continue to have the revenue advantage stemming from the sweetheart TV deal allowed by the McCourt bankruptcy proceedings until 2039. I don’t know whether the next CBA could even fix that, since it was apparently cemented by court order, but man, talk about an inherently tilted table!
• I did not realize that the doctor who did the nanosurgery on Skubal’s arm this is also the Dodgers team doctor! Conflict of interest, anyone? 😉😅

Edited August 7 by chasfh

[chasfh]

2 hours ago, Graterol said:

Great article and really highlights how Ryan is viewed. He was arguably a bigger piece than Hope.

That’s the way FanGraphs sees it, too, and by more than 30 spots. 

[chasfh]

59 minutes ago, Edman85 said:

More of a hypothetical, but I am curious what people think.

Let's say the Tigers go on a run but lose the World Series in 7, Skubal just shoving and shutting them down twice in the series, then closing down Game 7 in relief.

In that same scenario, Hope and Ryan both have good to great careers with the Tigers... talking 3-5 WAR seasons their whole time, Hope signs an extension and is a Tiger for 10+ years and becomes an all time great. But the Tigers do not win a World Series in that time.

In summary, they narrowly lose a World Series you can argue they would not have lost if they didn't trade Skubal to the team they lost to, but the return provides tremendous value going forward, but without winning a World Series. Did they win the trade in this scenario?

You should write Tigers fan fiction!

Rings are nice and I would definitely like a few more in my lifetime, but the older I get, the more I mainly want them to be a really good, entertaining team with great players to watch every year for the rest of my life. I would definitely rather have that, than to win one World Series ring and then watch them flop around vying for the #1 draft pick the following July. I have definitely had enough of that **** to last me for the rest of my life.

Edited August 7 by chasfh

[Edman85]

I guess I should say my birth year (in my handle) affects me more than you would think on this question.

[monkeytargets39]

Skubals now saying that he hopes the Tigers try to sign him in the offseason.

 

No thanks.  Not unless you’re gonna do like a 3 year deal or something with a ton of incentives and club options.

[4hzglory]

13 minutes ago, Edman85 said:

I guess I should say my birth year (in my handle) affects me more than you would think on this question.

  I'm sorry you missed 84.  It was definitely special.  Even though I was only 10, I listened to every game, have the cassette (wire to wire).  It was a special season.  1983 was pretty great too.  

[Edman85]

3 minutes ago, monkeytargets39 said:

Skubals now saying that he hopes the Tigers try to sign him in the offseason.

 

No thanks.  Not unless you’re gonna do like a 3 year deal or something with a ton of incentives and club options.

Of course he does. The more bidders, the better.

[monkeytargets39]

9 minutes ago, Edman85 said:

Of course he does. The more bidders, the better.

4/75 sounds about right

[Jason_R]

39 minutes ago, monkeytargets39 said:

Skubals now saying that he hopes the Tigers try to sign him in the offseason.

 

No thanks.  Not unless you’re gonna do like a 3 year deal or something with a ton of incentives and club options.

Everybody knows that something is broken in the game if only three or four teams can compete for the top level of talent in free agency. Skubal knows this as well.

Nevertheless, that is the world the MLB currently lives in. And I have no doubt that Skubal means what he says about Detroit as a city and an organization. But I cannot imagine loving a city or workplace enough that I would leave $100 million in compensation, or maybe more, on the table. 

As a fan, I would still love to have Skubal the player rejoin the team next year. But also, as a fan, I do not want the team I root for dragged down by a contract that will almost inevitably turn into an anchor. Maybe the new CBA will fix this, even a little. 

[kdog]

1 hour ago, chasfh said:

Although this (really great) article claims that they didn’t trade out of need, but rather just went for whatever the best available talent was, I find that to be just a little hard to believe.

Nevertheless, it became clear to us even before we read the article that the tigers traded to fulfill the needs they have for the next couple of years. A few additional thoughts I have:

• The point that they make about the Tigers wanted to avoid a collapsing Skubal market makes all kinds of sense, although I also think they wanted to move him Saturday so they could clear that deck and focus on moving Mize for the best return possible. It might have been a little much to expect them to do both simultaneously going all the way to the last minute on Monday.
• Passan seems to confirm here that there’s little chance the Tigers could’ve gotten more for Skubal this past winter—if they were even foolish enough to try to move him at all—than they would’ve at the deadline. The reason is obvious: there’s simply no urgency for top contending teams to empty out the top of their farm system for even the top player in the game during the winter, when winning at all still seems possible with what you have in house.
• Passan also seems to confirm that Harris did not make the decision to trade Skubal until collapse against the Orioles last week. I still don’t believe it, but I guess we’re gonna have to take that one into history with us.
• It’s really galling that the Dodgers will continue to have the revenue advantage stemming from the sweetheart TV deal allowed by the McCourt bankruptcy proceedings until 2039. I don’t know whether the next CBA could even fix that, since it was apparently cemented by court order, but man, talk about an inherently tilted table!
• I did not realize that the doctor who did the nanosurgery on Skubal’s arm this is also the Dodgers team doctor! Conflict of interest, anyone? 😉😅

ElAttrache is the new James Andrews. 

Edited August 7 by kdog

[SoCalTiger]

1 hour ago, monkeytargets39 said:

Skubals now saying that he hopes the Tigers try to sign him in the offseason.

 

No thanks.  Not unless you’re gonna do like a 3 year deal or something with a ton of incentives and club options.

I agree and I do not think he will get as much money as he is dreaming about . 

[LongLiveMaroth]

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7498194/2026/08/07/tarik-skubal-brewers-braves/?unlocked_article_code=1.3lA.7AtB.k-0BXVQJy_Db&source=athletic_user_shared_gift_article_copylink&smid=url-share-ta
•And finally, I wrote in June that, “the griping from rival executives about dealing with Scott Harris, the Tigers’ notoriously exacting president of baseball operations, would be as entertaining as the Skubal sweepstakes themselves.”

I heard no such griping.

“They handled it great. Zero issues,” an exec from one of the involved teams said.

 

Hopefully this puts to bed the "Harris doesn't play well with others line we have been hearing.

[papalawrence]

1 hour ago, monkeytargets39 said:

Skubals now saying that he hopes the Tigers try to sign him in the offseason.

 

No thanks.  Not unless you’re gonna do like a 3 year deal or something with a ton of incentives and club options.

I'd love Harris/Illitch to be on board with 4/200 but Skubal will get double that

[papalawrence]

With McGonigle, Clark, Dingler, Greene, Melton, Jobe etc, I would think players would be more open to coming to Det if the money matches

[AlaskanTigersFan]

2 hours ago, chasfh said:

You should write Tigers fan fiction!

Rings are nice and I would definitely like a few more in my lifetime, but the older I get, the more I mainly want them to be a really good, entertaining team with great players to watch every year for the rest of my life. I would definitely rather have that, than to win one World Series ring and then watch them flop around vying for the #1 draft pick the following July. I have definitely had enough of that **** to last me for the rest of my life.

Took me two years, but I finally converted you. Welcome to the light my friend! Now on to the others........

[chasfh]

2 hours ago, monkeytargets39 said:

Skubals now saying that he hopes the Tigers try to sign him in the offseason.

 

No thanks.  Not unless you’re gonna do like a 3 year deal or something with a ton of incentives and club options.

Holy ****! And he says this less than a week after getting traded to his new team, and in the throes of their six-game losing streak?? Wow.

If I'm a Dodgers fan, I am pissed as hell at him.

[casimir]

3 hours ago, Edman85 said:

More of a hypothetical, but I am curious what people think.

Let's say the Tigers go on a run but lose the World Series in 7, Skubal just shoving and shutting them down twice in the series, then closing down Game 7 in relief.

In that same scenario, Hope and Ryan both have good to great careers with the Tigers... talking 3-5 WAR seasons their whole time, Hope signs an extension and is a Tiger for 10+ years and becomes an all time great. But the Tigers do not win a World Series in that time.

In summary, they narrowly lose a World Series you can argue they would not have lost if they didn't trade Skubal to the team they lost to, but the return provides tremendous value going forward, but without winning a World Series. Did they win the trade in this scenario?

Tough to look at this deal in hindsight right now.  And the exact scenario as above is such a minute possibility, such slim odds.

John Smoltz had unimpressive minor league stats.  You still make that deal at the time.

[chasfh]

1 hour ago, Jason_R said:

Nevertheless, that is the world the MLB currently lives in. And I have no doubt that Skubal means what he says about Detroit as a city and an organization. But I cannot imagine loving a city or workplace enough that I would leave $100 million in compensation, or maybe more, on the table. 

I'm not saying he would take any less than he possibly could, because he has both his professional pride and a fiduciary responsibility to his union brethren to maximize his contract this offseason, but he would bequeath obscene generational wealth unto his heirs whether he were to sign a 6/240 or an 8/400.

As for the Tigers: if they want to take a shot at him, that's fine by me. I'd like him just fine on the next two or three Tiger teams. Tell you what, though: I could be talked into 4/240 before 6/240, let alone more years than that. It's the years I'm concerned about.

[IdahoBert]

10 minutes ago, chasfh said:

Holy ****! And he says this less than a week after getting traded to his new team, and in the throes of their six-game losing streak?? Wow.

If I'm a Dodgers fan, I am pissed as hell at him.

[chasfh]

3 hours ago, Edman85 said:

Of course he does. The more bidders, the better.

If anything, this just lowers the offer he would get from Detroit. The more you say you want to play for me, the less I have to offer you to come here.

[Witz57]

4 hours ago, Edman85 said:

More of a hypothetical, but I am curious what people think.

Let's say the Tigers go on a run but lose the World Series in 7, Skubal just shoving and shutting them down twice in the series, then closing down Game 7 in relief.

In that same scenario, Hope and Ryan both have good to great careers with the Tigers... talking 3-5 WAR seasons their whole time, Hope signs an extension and is a Tiger for 10+ years and becomes an all time great. But the Tigers do not win a World Series in that time.

In summary, they narrowly lose a World Series you can argue they would not have lost if they didn't trade Skubal to the team they lost to, but the return provides tremendous value going forward, but without winning a World Series. Did they win the trade in this scenario?

Harris trades those stars at the sunset of their careers, preserving the Skubal's trade value across a generation. Eventually that combination of player capital results in the acquisition of Skubal's son. As the second Skub they jokingly call him  "Two-bal." It sticks when he wins consecutive World Series.

[Jason_R]

1 hour ago, chasfh said:

I'm not saying he would take any less than he possibly could, because he has both his professional pride and a fiduciary responsibility to his union brethren to maximize his contract this offseason, but he would bequeath obscene generational wealth unto his heirs whether he were to sign a 6/240 or an 8/400.

As for the Tigers: if they want to take a shot at him, that's fine by me. I'd like him just fine on the next two or three Tiger teams. Tell you what, though: I could be talked into 4/240 before 6/240, let alone more years than that. It's the years I'm concerned about.

Agreed. I personally would have a hard time leaving a multi-billionaire’s $160 million on the table. 

Incidentally, i think Ilitch is maybe the 6th or 7th richest owner in the MLB. Not sure, but  I’m pretty sure he is at the top of the list. Boras wants him to pay like a major market team. 

[gehringer_2]

2 hours ago, Jason_R said:

Agreed. I personally would have a hard time leaving a multi-billionaire’s $160 million on the table. 

Incidentally, i think Ilitch is maybe the 6th or 7th richest owner in the MLB. Not sure, but  I’m pretty sure he is at the top of the list. Boras wants him to pay like a major market team. 

except it doesn't work that way. Owners don't pay players from their personal checkbooks, they pay them out of team revenues. Boras might like a team's fans to think that way to create public pressure, but of course he knows better.

Edited August 8 by gehringer_2