The Detroit Tigers may be nearing a trade deadline decision that would reshape both their rotation and the direction of the franchise.
USA Today Sports MLB insider Bob Nightengale predicts the Tigers will trade Tarik Skubal before the deadline. He also believes Casey Mize, Detroit’s No. 2 starter, could be moved as part of a broader selloff.
That would be a stunning pivot for a club that entered the season hoping to build on its recent progress.
Nightengale Believes Detroit Has No Choice
According to Nightengale, the Tigers would prefer to keep Skubal because they understand the backlash a trade would create inside the clubhouse and across the fan base.
Detroit’s recent slide may force the issue.
“The Tigers, who just dropped three games in a row to sub-.500 teams, and are now seven games below .500 themselves, have no choice but to trade Skubal,” Nightengale wrote.
That is a harsh conclusion, but it reflects the situation Detroit has created. The Tigers are no longer just hovering around the edge of the race. They are falling behind while losing games against teams they needed to beat.
Skubal remains Detroit’s most valuable trade asset by a wide margin. If the Tigers believe their postseason chances are fading, this may be the moment Scott Harris decides to cash in.
Casey Mize Could Be Dealt Too
Nightengale’s prediction does not stop with Skubal.
“The decision: They trade him, and likely No. 2 starter Casey Mize, too, while trying to convince their fans it’s really the right thing to do.”
Moving both pitchers would signal something much larger than a routine deadline adjustment.
Skubal is the ace. Mize has become one of the more important pieces of the rotation. Trading both would strip away the top of Detroit’s pitching staff while placing enormous pressure on the organization to land immediate, high-end talent in return.
Prospects alone may not be enough to satisfy fans. If the Tigers make these moves, the return must include players who can help soon.
Tigers Would Face a Difficult Sales Job
Nightengale expects Detroit to frame a Skubal trade as a move that strengthens the future without completely surrendering the present.
The Tigers have used that argument before.
Detroit traded Jack Flaherty to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024 and received Trey Sweeney and Thayron Liranzo. The Tigers still reached the postseason, while Flaherty helped Los Angeles win the World Series.
That deal gave the front office a successful example to point toward.
It also came with a very different level of risk.
Flaherty was a short-term veteran. Skubal is the face of Detroit’s rotation and one of baseball’s premier pitchers. Fans would not view those trades the same way.
There Is a Dangerous Precedent
Nightengale also referenced Milwaukee’s 2022 trade of All-Star closer Josh Hader.
The Brewers received several players from San Diego, but the move damaged the clubhouse and Milwaukee missed the postseason. It became a warning about what can happen when a front office removes a central player from a competitive roster.
That is the risk Detroit would be taking.
Trading Skubal could bring back an impressive package. It could also send a message to the clubhouse that the current season is no longer the priority.
Players notice those decisions. Fans do, too.
Bottom Line
Bob Nightengale predicts the Tigers will trade Tarik Skubal and likely Casey Mize before the deadline.
If he is right, Scott Harris will be making the most important moves of his tenure. Detroit would need a massive return, a clear plan and players close enough to the majors to justify dismantling the top of its rotation.
The Tigers may describe such a move as building for tomorrow without abandoning today.
Convincing Detroit fans of that would be the hard part.
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