Jul 30, 2026, 12:30 PM CUT

Tigers spark Tarik Skubal trade speculation with cryptic post amid Yankees-Dodgers rumors

MLB, Baseball Herren, USA Detroit Tigers vs Tampa Bay Rays St. Petersburg, FL. USA Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal 29 waits in the bullpen before pregame warmups prior to a major league baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Saturday, September 18, 2021, at Tropicana Field. The Tigers beat the Rays 4-3. Kim Hukari/Image of St. Petersburg Florida United States EDITORIAL USE ONLY Copyright: xImagexofxSportx KimxHukarix iosphotos253419

The Detroit Tigers posted a photo of Tarik Skubal, just a goat emoji for a caption. In a week this loaded with trade deadline noise, that was enough to set the internet on fire.

The post went up on July 30, after Skubal made what could be his final start at Comerica Park before the August 3 trade deadline.

He received a standing ovation from the home crowd. The Tigers' social media post all but confirmed the team is parting ways with Skubal this summer. It was after Detroit lost Wednesday's game 10-9 in extra innings and fell four games out of the AL wild-card race.

May 22, 2024: Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal 29 delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. /CSM Kansas City United States of America - ZUMAc04_ 20240522_zma_c04_017 Copyright: xDavidxSmithx

The timing sharpened the speculation further. On July 30, Punchoutpitch posted on X, citing ESPN's Jeff Passan: "Teams around the MLB are almost all resigned to the idea that the Los Angeles Dodgers are going to get Tarik Skubal."

According to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, multiple teams were planning to reach out to Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris, including the Rays, Brewers, Braves, Yankees and Dodgers.

The Dodgers have emerged as the frontrunner. Rival evaluators feel the Dodgers match up incredibly well with the Tigers in a trade for Skubal because Los Angeles can offer a prospect package that includes both outfielders and pitchers. The Tigers' farm system is loaded with promising infielders but could use more outfielders beyond 21-year-old center fielder Max Clark.

The Tigers have a very important decision to make before the August 3 trade deadline. They can either keep star pitcher Tarik Skubal, who has won the last two Cy Young Awards, and try to reach the playoffs in a weak American League, or trade him for valuable young players who could help the team in the future but hurt their chances of competing in 2026.

After a loss to the Chicago White Sox on May 31 dropped their record to 22-38, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Detroit would trade Skubal. Since the start of June, though, the Tigers have the fourth-best record in MLB at 25-15. That run of form complicated the decision significantly.

Skubal has been sharp since returning from elbow surgery. He has made seven starts since returning, posting a 2.97 ERA with 53 strikeouts in 39.1 innings.

The Yankees are also in the picture, though the Dodgers hold the edge in trade capital.

What a Dodgers trade would actually look like

If the Tigers are going to trade Skubal, they would like a "ready-made" pitcher to plug into their rotation, with Justin Wrobleski, Emmet Sheehan and River Ryan all cited as potential options fitting that description.

There is a very short list of players who would significantly alter the Dodgers' chances of winning the World Series. Skubal is one of them. The uncertainty surrounding Shohei Ohtani's ability to pitch has given Los Angeles added incentive to pursue the deal.

Several teams have been linked to Skubal, including the Dodgers, Brewers and Braves. But it's the back-to-back World Series champions who have the best trade capital to strike a deal with Detroit.

The August 3 deadline arrives in three days. The Tigers have yet to officially confirm Skubal is available.

Written by

Sneha Abraham