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Tigers Pursue Skubal Trade; Dodgers Propose Sheehan Prospect

7/25/2026

38 3 Full Breakdown

Summary

Tigers Trade Skubal

The Detroit Tigers are exploring a trade of left-hander Tarik Skubal before free agency.
Skubal, 29, a two-time AL Cy Young winner, has a 2.83 ERA, 0.93 WHIP in 82.2 innings.
The Tigers, with 36.1% playoff odds per FanGraphs, want a controllable starter and high-end prospects.
The Los Angeles Dodgers lead interest, reportedly offering starter Emmet Sheehan and an outfield prospect.

Summary

Skubal Secures $32M

Skubal's arbitration case awarded him a $32 million salary for the 2026 season, far above Detroit’s $19 million offer.
Analysts project he could secure a free-agency deal exceeding $325 million, potentially a record for a pitcher.
Since returning from elbow surgery on June 13, he has posted a 2.70 ERA with a 65-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio over seven starts and drew a sold-out crowd of 40,638 on July 24.

History

Historical Context

Roger Clemens, a seven-time Cy Young Award winner—the most in MLB history—embodied the league’s growing premium on elite pitchers after the award’s 1956 inception. His first Cy Young came in 1986 and his last in 2004, illustrating a career that set compensation benchmarks later echoed in today’s major contract talks.

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Tigers Trade Skubal

The Detroit Tigers are exploring a trade of left-hander Tarik Skubal before free agency.
Skubal, 29, a two-time AL Cy Young winner, has a 2.83 ERA, 0.93 WHIP in 82.2 innings.
The Tigers, with 36.1% playoff odds per FanGraphs, want a controllable starter and high-end prospects.
The Los Angeles Dodgers lead interest, reportedly offering starter Emmet Sheehan and an outfield prospect.

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