Tarik Skubal has put the Detroit Tigers on notice as the trade deadline approaches. The ace left-hander said the club needs to “play better baseball or else,” with the front office potentially left to reassess the roster if the team keeps slipping.
That warning carries extra weight because Skubal is set to reach free agency after this season and could be part of a dramatic shift if the Tigers do not recover. He is also scheduled to make his second start Friday since an innovative surgical procedure on May 6 to remove bone fragments from his elbow.
The deadline pressure is building
Detroit enters Friday at 30-44, sitting 9½ games behind the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central and 6½ games out of the final American League wild-card spot. The Tigers host the White Sox for a three-game series this weekend, while Major League Baseball’s trade deadline is Aug. 3.
Skubal told The Detroit News that the team still controls part of its own fate, but only if it starts winning now. “We still control our destiny a little bit. We still do,” he said, adding that the room understands the need for urgency without panic.
What Skubal says is at stake
Skubal said the situation could look very different in two months, not only for him but for many others in the clubhouse. He pointed to the possibility that “the whole team is going to look different” if the Tigers are not judged to be a World Series- or playoff-caliber club by the front office.
He also stressed that every series now matters, especially against a division leader. “We play the team this weekend that’s winning our division,” he said, describing the matchup as another big series in a stretch that feels like playoff baseball in June.
The Tigers’ list of pending free agents after this season also includes Kenley Jansen, Casey Mize, Gleyber Torres and Jack Flaherty. Skubal said he tries not to let the deadline consume him, but he also knows the standings will shape what happens next.
Focus on tonight, then the next series
For Skubal, the message is simple: win now and let momentum build. “Everybody, the whole room, needs to focus on winning tonight’s game, winning a series, winning the next series and just let it snowball,” he said.
That approach may determine whether Detroit stays in the chase or becomes a team the front office has to reconfigure before Aug. 3. With Skubal nearing free agency and the Tigers losing ground, the next few weeks could reshape the club’s direction.