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Tarik Skubal may not be going anywhere at the trade deadline.
The Detroit Tigers are playing much better baseball of late after a rough start to the season.
Since June 1, the Tigers' 20-12 record is the best in the American League during that time.
Now just 5.5 games back in the AL Central, FanSided's Robert Murray envisions a scenario in which the Tigers hold on to the back-to-back Cy Young Award winner.
"But the Tigers are surging, with their offense and starting pitching among the best in baseball. Their bullpen is much improved too," Murray wrote.
For teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees, a thriving Tigers club is not exactly what they'd prefer to see, if they decide to enter the Skubal sweepstakes.
"If they keep playing like this, the conversation could shift toward the Tigers being buyers, which would give Scott Harris perhaps his toughest decision yet: Give it one last shot with Skubal or trade him before free agency?" Murray added.
The Dodgers have one of, if not the best, farm systems in baseball. Los Angeles could offer the Tigers multiple top 10 prospects without breaking a sweat.
New York is a different story.
MORE: Blue Jays did the right thing with Dylan Cease
Prospects like shortstop George Lombard Jr. and flamethrowing right-hander Carlos Lagrange are highly coveted by the organization, so departing with them would signal the front office is determined to win a World Series with Skubal as their ace.
For now, both clubs will have to wait and see what the Tigers do over the next three weeks. A bad stretch leaves them with almost no choice but to put Skubal's name in trade discussions.
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