After consecutive trips to the American League Division Series, the Detroit Tigers franchise has rebuilt a love for baseball in their city.
This off-season, however, Tigers’ ownership has a chance to ruin baseball in Detroit.
Rumors of top pitcher Tarik Skubal have circulated since the season ended for Detroit. Discussions that the organization and Skubal are “hundreds of millions of dollars” apart in negotiations for a new deal have leaked. Entering his final season under contract, there is no doubt that the dominant left-hander will sign the largest contract for a starting pitcher of all time.
It appears that the Tigers will not be the team to offer that sort of contract to Skubal. If they are unwilling to give him the caliber of deal that he deserves, then trading him before he reaches free agency would be in the team’s best interest.
If Detroit proceeds with making the biggest mistake in franchise history, there will be suitors in the trade market.
San Francisco Giants
President of Baseball Operations Buster Posey now has one season under his belt as the lead executive of the Giants.
Posey swung big during his rookie season, landing Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox mid-season. In the off-season, he landed Willy Adames in free agency to anchor the club’s shortstop position for years to come.
San Francisco took another swing by hiring Tennessee manager Tony Vitello straight from the NCAA. The organization is not afraid to take a chance.
Trading for Skubal would cement the direction of the franchise in a major way. Adding the best pitcher in baseball would help the Giants compete against the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres.
The franchise has shown they are willing to spend both capital and money to attract big-name players. Trading for Skubal and then locking him under contract for the next seven to 10 years would give the Giants a new ceiling in 2026.
New York Mets
The New York Mets need an ace.
With top pitching prospects Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong, and Brandon Sproat all making their debuts in 2025, it appears like the franchise might have its next iteration of Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, and Matt Harvey.
Impressive debuts, however, do not guarantee sustained success. Adding the best pitcher in the sport would take New York’s rotation to another stratosphere. The Mets would likely have to move one of these players in the Skubal deal, despite it being a one-year rental. A recent example would be the Kyle Tucker trade, where the Cubs gave up a top 100 prospect in Cam Smith.
After signing Juan Soto to the largest contract in baseball history, the Mets could soon make Skubal the highest-paid pitcher in the league. Money will be no obstacle.
If there is a betting favorite to land the soon-to-be repeat American League Cy Young, it would be the Mets.
Boston Red Sox
One year ago the Boston Red Sox landed Garrett Crochet in a blockbuster deal with the Chicago White Sox.
Crochet quickly became the ace of the Boston staff and finished 2025 as a finalist for the American League Cy Young award. He could soon have the favorite, Skubal, alongside him in a Red Sox uniform.
Boston has one of the best farm systems in the game today. Prospects like Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of depth. The Red Sox finished the season with four prospects in MLB.com’s top 100 rankings.
The Red Sox have the resources to go out and make a deal for Skubal. For Detroit, this might be the best source of a return package. Dealing a player of this caliber is rare and unwise. If they go through with it, however, Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow needs to pick up the phone and call the Tigers.
Matt Watson Media 
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