Mariners expected to pursue Tigers' Tarik Skubal in trade talks

The Seattle Mariners made it to the ALCS and were just one win away from a World Series berth for the first time in franchise history. But, they came up just short, and head into a pivotal offseason to try and get back so deep into the playoffs.

Seattle has two key free agent decisions to make with Eugenio Suarez and Josh Naylor, but the Mariners could also explore additions to the roster. One of the positions to keep an eye on is the starting rotation.

According to ESPN MLB insider Buster Olney, the Mariners are expected to be among the many teams trying to trade for Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal this winter. After his dominance in the ALDS, the Mariners have plenty of reason to be interested in Skubal.

Mariners expected to pursue trade for Tarik Skubal

"The Mariners are expected to be among the teams that go after Skubal, to bring him back to the city where he attended college," Olney writes.

Nearly every contender would love to add Skubal, and if they have the ammo, they'll surely try to trade for him. But would the Tigers even move off such a star like Skubal?

According to Olney, a trade isn't far-fetched. "Other teams believe the Tigers will seriously consider moving him if they can glean what they want in a trade," Olney writes.

With such a superstar pitcher available, there will surely be a strong market, one that could balloon into a bidding war.

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The Mariners, after being one game away from the World Series, could use a pitcher like Skubal to get them over the edge and into the 2026 World Series.

Skubal is 28 years old, but will be 29 once the 2026 season begins. He has just one year of control left, but adding a pitcher of his caliber, even if it's for one season, would be more than worth it.

In 2025, Skubal had his best season. He had a 2.21 ERA with a 13-6 record, and career highs in innings pitched (195.1), strikeouts (241), and ERA+ (187).

It won't be cheap, but adding a pitcher like Skubal would be an incredible pickup for the Mariners. And according to Olney, the Mariners are one of many teams expected to pursue the Cy Young lefty. Skubal in Seattle would be amazing, and it's a possibility according to Olney's latest report.

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