Tarik Skubal Next Team Odds: Will The Tigers Trade Skubal?

By Steve Bittenbender Nov 12th, 2025 11:42 AM EST

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It should be a good time to be a Detroit Tigers fan. After seven years of bad baseball, Motown’s baseball team has made the playoffs two years in a row. In both seasons, the Tigers escaped the Wild Card round only to lose in heartbreaking fashion in Game 5 of the American League Division Series.

But a bigger heartbreak may be looming as rumors swirl about the future of Tigers ace Tarik Skubal. After winning the AL pitching Triple Crown in 2024 (18 wins, 2.39 ERA and 228 strikeouts) en route to the Cy Young Award, the lefty actually improved his value this past season, posting a 6.5 WAR (versus a 6.4 in 2024) thanks to leading the league in ERA (2.21) and WHIP (.0891).

The issue is Skubal is entering his final arbitration year and is set to become a free agent after the 2026 campaign. Reportedly, talks on a long-term contract are not close, and should Skubal hit the open market, the only compensation Detroit would receive would be a draft pick.

That’s why there is talk about Detroit considering dealing their ace, because they should be able to get several pieces in return for a pitcher like him. It’s the double-edged sword of being a baseball fan. You watch your team develop an outstanding player only to see them trade him or let him go because they can’t pay him what the Dodgers, Yankees, Mets or Red Sox would offer.

Bookies.com veteran oddsmaker Adam Thompson has dug into the current MLB landscape and revealed his MLB odds for where Skubal pitches next season. 

Tarik Skubal Next Team Odds

Top Teams Eyeing Tarik Skubal

For now, Skubal staying with the Tigers is a small favorite, but that should change as we get closer to arbitration. After earning $10.2 million in 2025, Skubal will get a substantial raise. However, it still will likely pale to what he could get as a free agent in 2026.

Six pitchers are set to make more than $30 million next season. Skubal is better than any of them, and provided he stays healthy, he should be able to get close to $40 million per year. If the Tigers can’t make a deal with Skubal, then unfortunately it would make sense to see what they could get from him in return. The right return could help them stay competitive in a tight AL Central for years to come.

Going by Bleacher Report’s 2025 end of season MLB farm system rankings, the Mariners (first), Dodgers (second) and Mets (fourth) likely have the best prospects to offer the Tigers, who by the way come in fifth in BR’s review.

It might not be ideal to see Skubal leave Detroit, but even without a generational pitcher like him, the Tigers still seem to have a bright future. The right move could make that future even brighter.

About the Author

Steve Bittenbender

More About Steve

Steve Bittenbender is an accomplished, award-winning reporter with more than 20 years of experience covering gaming, sports, politics and business. He has written for the Associated Press, Reuters, The Louisville Courier Journal, The Center Square and numerous other publications. Based in Louisville, Ky., Steve has covered the expansion of sports betting in the U.S. and other gaming matters.

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