As the MLB trade deadline looms ever closer, the buzz revolves around short-term rentals and deadline-day fireworks. However, some organizations, such as the Yankees, aren’t just shopping for this October. They’re laying the groundwork for sustained success beyond 2025. Take the Royals, for instance. In a savvy move, they extended a qualifying offer to Seth Lugo, locking in value before dangling him on the trade market. Hence, beyond much of the trade deadline chatter, there’s a subtler, longer game being played beneath the surface.
And now, if the latest whispers are anything to go by, one of the league’s biggest power brokers could be entering the chessboard in a major way. That’s right, the Yankees are rumored to be eyeing a significant acquisition. An acquisition that could change the balance of power in the AL, and could be the most effective dose for the dwindling pitching lineup of the Yankees. So while deadline day may still be a few sleeps away, make no mistake. The stakes are already sky-high, and the moves being made today might just shape the next two Octobers.
Well, if you’re an MLB regular, you’re surely checking the Tigers’ pitcher Tarik Skubal’s heroics from the mound. The current 3rd-ranked pitcher in MLB with 171 SOs and a 2.09 ERA is the major contributing force for the AL Central topper, the Tigers. But it takes a lot to retain a premium performer. Things look more dire as a certain someone floated the idea of Skubal landing in the Big Apple.
“I was watching Tarik Skubal do what he does as he’s on the mound,” said former MLB outfielder Cameron Maybin, via Foul Territory. “He has this aura… And I was thinking he is the type of guy who not only relishes the energy, the moment, the expectation, but he would dominate in that atmosphere… For me, when I was watching, I thought about the money that’s going around. And I’m thinking about the highest-paid pitchers in the game. It’s easy to just go ahead and make sure you offer Tarik Skubal something right now to lock him up… This is an opportunity for Detroit to NOT screw this up.” Perhaps, he is right.
“This is an opportunity for Detroit to NOT screw this up.”@CameronMaybin floats the idea of Tarik Skubal landing with the Yankees if the Tigers fail to re-sign him. pic.twitter.com/HUIEdZ1jng
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) July 27, 2025
Skubal is on a one-year deal with the Tigers right now, which means he’s set to hit free agency after the 2026 season. But honestly, it’s hard to imagine the Tigers just letting him walk. Why? In 2024, Skubal was the guy in the American League. Notably, he won the pitching Triple Crown, took home the Cy Young Award, and helped lead Detroit back to the playoffs for the first time in ten years.
What’s more, over 31 starts, he posted an 18–4 record, a 2.39 ERA, and racked up 228 SOs. And Skubal hasn’t slowed down in 2025 either, making his second straight All-Star appearance.
Hence, as per former Tiger Maybin, if Detroit doesn’t step up with a strong qualifying offer, a team like the Yankees could swoop in and snag him. They’ve got the brand, the fan base, and the budget, everything that might tempt a star like Skubal. Also, Yankees manager Aaron Boone is aggressively looking for a reliable arm owing to his dwindling pitching lineup.
Well, the Tigers did show some commitment by giving Skubal $10.15 million to avoid arbitration this year. This is a pretty generous figure by their standards. Maybe that’s a sign they’re ready to go big to keep him. Because if they don’t, and he ends up leaving? That’s a massive loss for the franchise.
Apart from the Yankees, projected big-ticket deal poses another threat to the Tigers
It’s not the Yankees being a probable destination for Skubal that poses a threat to the Tigers. But the projected valuation of Skubal from free agency is what haunts the team more. “Tarik Skubal is set to land 400 million after the 2026 season. The question is whether it will come from the Yankees, Dodgers, or Mets.” MLB insider Ben Yoel quoted Buster Olney.
$400 million! Yes, that’s what is projected for Skubal. And this comes true, he’d become the highest-paid pitcher in MLB history, surpassing Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s 12-year, $325 million deal from 2023. But here comes the question: would the Tigers spend much to retain Skubal? Or if the Yankees will go all guns blazing?
So, for Detroit, handing out a contract like that would be unprecedented, by far the biggest they’ve ever given to any player. On the other hand, the Yankees haven’t gone that big for a pitcher since they backed up the truck for Gerrit Cole. Yes, Skubal could easily be seen as Cole’s long-term replacement. But we would wait and watch to see if the Yankees can pull off another Cole-like sweepstakes.
Detroit Tigers Tarik Skubal 29 pitches in the third inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio on Sunday, July 6, 2025. The Tigers defeated the Guardians 7-2. PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxONLY CLE20250706103 AARONxJOSEFCZYK
Wait, there’s more… Apart from the Yankees, the projected amount also screams the Dodgers and Mets! They’ve got the deep pockets and the aggressive mindset to get in on the bidding. While the Dodgers and Mets are both cash-rich, the Mets have an added advantage of having Eric Chavez as their hitting coach. Someone Skubal idolized growing up!
Still, it’s too early to give up on the Tigers. Remember, they surprised a lot of people by making a real push for Alex Bregman, stepping out of their usual cautious spending habits. But given their history of tight budgeting, it’s hard to feel confident they’ll actually go that far.
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