Why Tigers might have 'no choice' but to anger players and fans with Tarik Skubal trade

As the Detroit Tigers approach the 2026 MLB trade deadline, all eyes around Major League Baseball are on Tarik Skubal and the potential trade of a Cy Young-winning ace.

There will be plenty of teams calling the Tigers about Skubal, making hefty offers to try and pry the back-to-back Cy Young winner from Detroit. But, understandably, they don't want to trade him.

However, USA Today's Bob Nightengale believes that the Tigers might have "no choice" but to trade away Skubal this summer, drawing anger from their own players and the fan base in the wake of such a move.

Tigers have 'no choice' but to trade Skubal and draw ire of own players and fans

"The Tigers really don't want to trade him, knowing the anger and frustration it will create among their players and fanbase, but the decision is really becoming clear," Nightengale writes. "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."

As much as the Tigers don't want to trade Skubal this summer, the way things are trending, they really don't have much of a choice.

If the Tigers don't have a clear path to a postseason spot, and they're well below .500 and out of a postseason spot by the August 3 trade deadline, it would be organizational malpractice to keep Skubal.

Trading Skubal for a haul at the deadline, improving the farm system, and reloading for the 2027 season and beyond is the best path forward for Detroit as a franchise.

MORE: Tigers expected to trade Tarik Skubal but still try to contend without him

It's an unfortunate reality, and one that the Tigers don't want to accept, as they're pushing off a Skubal trade decision as long as possible.

But, barring winning out between now and the deadline, the Tigers have no choice but to sell this summer, and Skubal should be one of the main ones on the move.

Of course, trading Skubal will take the wind out of the sails of the Tigers players and the fans, as it would be an admission from the organization that this year's team isn't good enough to contend. 

Even though trading Skubal would be met with such a reaction, for the. betterment of the franchise, the Tigers might have no choice but to trade Skubal.

More MLB news:

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• Red Sox ‘would love’ to trade for Angels’ Zach Neto or Astros’ Jeremy Pena
• Giants willing to trade Heliot Ramos in big news for many MLB clubs
• Padres likely not to trade Mason Miller amid latest update
• Mets ‘desperate’ to trade Luis Robert Jr. after trade failure