Best thing for Detroit Tigers, Tarik Skubal? Jim Duquette explains
On “Days of Roar,” former general manager Jim Duquette explains what the Detroit Tigers should do with Tarik Skubal in the 2025-26 MLB offseason.
ORLANDO, FL — Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal is the hottest name in baseball at the Winter Meetings.
The Tigers are listening to trade offers.
The 29-year-old is the back-to-back American League Cy Young Award winner – and he is expected to become the first MLB pitcher to earn $400 million when he becomes a free agent after the 2026 season.
If the Tigers can’t extend Skubal, then only two options remain before he reaches free agency: trade him or keep him.
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Here are five hypothetical Skubal trades for the Tigers at the Winter Meetings (with all prospect rankings from MLB Pipeline).
Tigers acquire: RHP Emmet Sheehan, SS Alex Freeland, LHP Jackson Ferris, RHP Christian Zazueta.
The return: Sheehan, the centerpiece of the return, would provide the Tigers with an immediate replacement for Skubal in the rotation, especially since he has already proven he can perform at the highest level. The 26-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2024, giving him a fresh elbow, and he shoved upon his return in 2025, posting a 2.82 ERA with a 7.6% walk rate and 30.6% strikeout rate across 73⅓ innings in 15 games (12 starts). His fastball, slider and changeup all grade as above-average. He doesn’t become a free agent until after the 2029 season.
Freeland – who, like Skubal, was born with a clubfoot and required surgeries as an infant – ranks as the Dodgers’ No. 4 prospect (and MLB’s No. 45 prospect). The 24-year-old switch-hitter would become the Tigers’ everyday shortstop with the versatility to play second and third base. He has only 29 MLB games under his belt, but he hit .263 with 16 homers and an .834 OPS in 106 Triple-A games in 2025.
Ferris is the Dodgers’ No. 6 prospect (and MLB’s No. 98 prospect). The 21-year-old hasn’t pitched above Double-A, but he would be on track to make his MLB debut for the Tigers at some point in 2026, even if it’s out of the bullpen. His fastball-slider combination gives him high upside as a starter if he can cut down on the walks. Zazueta is the Dodgers’ No. 16 prospect and projects to make his MLB debut in 2028. The 21-year-old fills up the strike zone with all three of his pitches, including an advanced changeup.
Tigers acquire: 3B Mark Vientos, RHP Jonah Tong, RHP Brandon Sproat, RHP Will Watson.
The return: Vientos would become the Tigers’ everyday third baseman, filing a glaring hole that has lingered for four seasons. The 25-year-old is already established at the MLB level and doesn’t reach free agency until after the 2029 season. Over the past two years, he has averaged 30 home runs per 162 games while hitting .250 with a .769 OPS, even as his defense at third base is below average.
Tong would be the centerpiece of the return – stepping directly into the Tigers’ rotation to replace Skubal. The 22-year-old ranks as the Mets’ No. 4 prospect (and MLB’s No. 46 prospect). He endured a rocky introduction to his MLB career in 2025, posting a 7.71 ERA in his first five starts, but before that, he dominated Double-A and Triple-A with a 1.43 ERA and 40.5% strikeout rate. He has the potential of a frontline starter, as long as he lands his secondary pitches for strikes to avoid an abundance of walks.
Sproat is the Mets’ No. 5 prospect. The 25-year-old made his first four MLB starts in 2025, logging a 4.79 ERA across 20⅔ innings. He would give the Tigers rotation depth in Triple-A with high-upside potential from his six-pitch mix as a short-term development project. Watson is the Mets’ No. 11 prospect. The 23-year-old won’t be ready for his MLB debut until 2027. There’s a chance he ultimately becomes a reliever, but he generates plenty of swings and misses, which is something the Tigers lack throughout their organization.
Tigers acquire: 2B/SS Jackson Holliday, LHP Cade Povich, RHP Trey Gibson, OF Reed Trimble.
The return: Holliday – the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft – would become the Tigers’ everyday shortstop as the centerpiece of the return. The 22-year-old has hit just .229 with 22 home runs and a .659 OPS in 209 games throughout his two-year MLB career, and he isn’t guaranteed a middle-infield position for the Orioles with All-Stars Gunnar Henderson and Jordan Westburg at shortstop and second base, respectively. His superstar upside remains intact, even if he has looked overmatched at times, and he doesn’t become a free agent until after the 2030 season, so there’s plenty of time for development.
Povich would slot into the Tigers’ rotation as Skubal’s replacement, albeit with nowhere close to the same impact. The 25-year-old owns a 5.20 ERA with a 9.2% walk rate and 22.3% strikeout rate across 192 innings in 38 games (36 starts) in his two-year MLB career. He doesn’t become a free agent until after the 2030 season.
Gibson is the Orioles’ No. 12 prospect – and one of the most underrated prospects in baseball, as a power pitcher with above-average breaking balls. He profiles as a starter, but he could help the Tigers down the stretch in 2026 by making his MLB debut as a reliever for a postseason push. Trimble isn’t ranked among the Orioles’ top-30 prospects, but the Orioles added him to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft after he reached Triple-A in 2025, hitting .259 with five home runs and a .755 OPS in 30 games. The 25-year-old switch-hitter would give the Tigers much-needed outfield depth at Triple-A.
Tigers acquire: OF/INF Kristian Campbell, LHP Connelly Early, RHP David Sandlin.
The return: Campbell would jump into the Tigers’ lineup as the centerpiece of the return, carrying a team-friendly long-term contract: The 23-year-old is under team control for the next nine seasons after signing an eight-year, $60 million contract at the beginning of the 2025 season that rolls through 2032 with club options for $19 million in 2033 and $21 million in 2034. The only problem? He hit just .223 with six home runs and a .664 OPS in 67 games after making his MLB debut in 2025, along with minus-16 defensive runs saved at second base. He should improve on offense and projects as a better defender in the outfield, making him a high-upside, high-risk addition, especially if he needs to change his swing.
Early would join the Tigers’ rotation as Skubal’s replacement. The 23-year-old is the Red Sox’ No. 4 prospect and doesn’t reach free agency until after the 2031 season. He impressed in four starts upon making his MLB debut in 2025, registering a 2.33 ERA with a 5.1% walk rate and 36.7% strikeout rate across 19⅓ innings. Early throws strikes and mixes six pitchers to generate outs in multiple ways, though he lacks top-end velocity.
Sandlin is the Red Sox’ No. 8 prospect. He regressed in 2025 while moving from Double-A to Triple-A, but he remains on track for his MLB debut in 2026. He would thrive as a high-leverage reliever for the Tigers, featuring a triple-digit fastball complemented by a nasty sweeper and tough-to-hit splitter.
Tigers acquire: OF Jasson Domínguez, RHP Carlos Lagrange, RHP Ben Hess, RHP Cade Smith.
The return: Domínguez showcased elite potential – drawing comparisons to legend Mickey Mantle and earning the nickname of “The Martian” – on his journey through the minor leagues as a top prospect, but in his three-year MLB career, he is hitting just .248 with 16 home runs and a .724 OPS in 149 games, including 123 games in 2025. Not only that, but he was worth minus-7 defensive runs saved in left field. The 22-year-old switch-hitter would join the Tigers as the centerpiece of the return, only with significant risk due to poor defense, struggles against left-handed pitchers and too many strikeouts. For now, Domínguez appears set to be the Yankees’ primary left fielder. If that happens, it would be his first time as an everyday player in the big leagues.
Lagrange is the Yankees’ No. 2 prospect (and MLB’s 74 prospect). The 22-year-old wouldn’t make his MLB debut for the Tigers until late 2026 or early 2027. His fastball has reached 103 mph, enhanced by a sweeper and changeup. The outcomes range from closer to frontline starter – closer is more likely. Hess is the Yankees’ No. 6 prospect and projects for his MLB debut in 2027. The 23-year-old is another power pitcher who could avoid a likely bullpen role if he limits walks by throwing more strikes.
Smith is the Yankees’ No. 19 prospect. The 23-year-old needs to increase fastball velocity before his MLB debut in 2027, but his top-tier slider would provide a foundation for the Tigers to build around.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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