Why Tigers can't afford to not trade Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize, others at MLB deadline

There are plenty of interesting teams to follow as the 2026 MLB trade deadline nears, but none are more intriguing than the Detroit Tigers.

It's clear why, as Tarik Skubal might be one of the best pitchers ever dealt at the deadline if the Tigers actually move on from him. But, they're not far out of a playoff spot. It's possible the Tigers aren't sellers this year. But, would that be the right decision?

MLB.com's Mark Feinsand asked a simple question: "Can the Tigers afford not to be sellers?" It's a good question, and looking at the state of the team, the market, and the rest of baseball, acting as sellers might be the best thing for the Tigers franchise.

Why Tigers can't miss chance to sell this summer

"Detroit's system remains thin on the pitching side, something president of baseball operations Scott Harris could address with trades of players such as Skubal, Gleyber Torres, Casey Mize, Kyle Finnegan, Kenley Jansen, and Jack Flaherty," Feinsand writes.

The Tigers have some quality position player prospects in their farm system, but if the Tigers want to build a long-term contender, they're going to need to find some young pitching talent.

While Detroit might be 6.0 games out of a Wild Card spot, they're 38-49 on the year. It's entirely possible the Tigers naturally become sellers this season.

But, even if they're close enough to a postseason spot, they might find justification to buy, or stand pat, the Tigers really should be looking to sell this summer.

The return they could get for Skubal is so large that not trading him would be a massive disservice to the franchise. It might not be a popular move, but it's the kind of trade that the Tigers need to make for the future of the franchise.

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If they trade Skubal, their postseason hopes are likely dashed. So, they should then look to trade all of their other players set to hit free agency after 2026.

Casey Mize would surely bring back a solid haul, as would Gleyber Torres if the Tigers trade both. Jack Flaherty, Kyle Finnegan, and Kenley Jansen should also fetch decent returns as well.

The Tigers must ask themselves a question this summer: Can they win the 2026 World Series with this roster? If the answer isn't a confident "Yes," they must sell.

Failing to get the massive haul Skubal could bring back, not to mention the quality returns of Mize and the other trade chips, would be a colossal mistake for the team.

This dilemma is why the Tigers are, by far, the most interesting team for the 2026 MLB trade deadline. Detroit should sell without any reservations, as the haul they could get might set the franchise up for long-term success.

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