Bullet point summary by AI
- The Detroit Tigers have stumbled to a 19-23 record and sit tied for last in the weak AL Central after another ugly loss on Tuesday.
- Multiple veteran players are now seen as trade candidates with the deadline approaching in early August.
- The team’s playoff hopes hinge on an injured ace’s return, but the front office faces a tough decision about his future.
A brutal start to the 2026 MLB season only got worse for the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday, as they lost to the team with the worst record in the Majors by a final score of 10-2. Jack Flaherty had another poor performance, the Tigers failed to capitalize on numerous scoring opportunities, the bullpen allowed the New York Mets to pull away and even the defense committed a couple of brutal errors.
Now at 19-23, the Tigers have lost seven of their last 10, and they’re tied for last place in the AL Central — arguably the worst division in baseball. While sure, that lackluster competition keeps the door open for Detroit to make a run and make the playoffs, it feels more likely that this team just isn’t good enough and is only getting closer to waving the white flag ahead of the early August trade deadline.
The Tigers are in a unique situation thanks to Tarik Skubal
This was such an important year for the Tigers because this is Tarik Skubal’s final year under club control. Detroit elected to hold onto him in an effort to make one more run before risking losing him as a free agent, even handing a ton of money to Framber Valdez this past offseason. But that risk is looking like it’ll backfire: Not only are the Tigers struggling, but Skubal is now out with an elbow injury. Even if he comes back sooner than expected, the Tigers have gone 4-7 since the southpaw last made a start and only seem to be trending in the wrong direction.
The Tigers will have a decision to make regarding Skubal, a player they’re unlikely to extend at this point. They can try to dig out of this early-season hole once he’s healthy and risk losing him for nothing more than a draft pick, or they can trade him for a haul that’d help set them up for a post-Skubal future.
At the end of the day, as painful as it would be to trade Skubal, it makes sense to get stuff for him in August rather than settle for just a draft pick on a team that feels certain to come short of a World Series title. The Tigers have been fairly mediocre even with Skubal for a while now, and they’ve been flat-out bad without him. Even if they’re able to win a weak AL Central division, who’s to say they’ll be good enough to win — or even reach — a World Series? How do you justify passing on multiple high-end prospects for a player likely to leave after the year if winning a championship isn’t the ultimate goal?
The Tigers are up against a running clock, knowing Skubal’s time under club control is coming to an end in the coming months. The sooner they realize it, and that a World Series is unlikely to be won this season, the better. It would be malpractice to hold onto him when he can be traded for a haul, especially after he’s survived one major injury scare already.
Which Tigers are most likely to be placed on the trade block?
|
Rank |
Tigers Trade Candidate |
|---|---|
|
1 |
Tarik Skubal |
|
2 |
Kenley Jansen |
|
3 |
Gleyber Torres |
|
4 |
Casey Mize |
|
5 |
Jack Flaherty |
Skubal isn’t the only trade candidate the Tigers have to offer at the deadline, though. They can reasonably move on from all of these veterans and receive prospects in return. Skubal would fetch the most value, obviously, but the Tigers can conduct a larger fire sale if they wish.
Kenley Jansen had a couple of hiccups at the end of April, but is one of the best closers in MLB history and remains mostly trustworthy late in games. Gleyber Torres hasn’t gotten off to a great start but has been a steady second baseman for years. As for Casey Mize and Jack Flaherty, the fact that they’re both mostly serviceable back-end starters means the Tigers can get something for them — and since they’re both headed to free agency after the year, it’d be wise to get whatever they can and run.
Skubal is the crown jewel, but the Tigers can navigate a successful trade deadline fire sale if they play their cards right.
What the Tigers need to turn their season around
The two things the Tigers have on their side are time and a winnable division. It’s only mid-May, and as bad as the Tigers have been, they’re only 3.0 games back in the AL Central. With that being said, this team has issues to work through to actually make a run.
First and foremost, they need Skubal to get healthy. The Tigers are underdogs even with Skubal when matched up against a AL juggernaut like the New York Yankees, and they don’t stand a chance without him. Second, they need more from many of their big bats.
Kerry Carpenter is hurt right now and has a .750 OPS this season, the lowest mark of his career. Spencer Torkelson is barely hitting above the Mendoza Line. Riley Greene is hitting for average and has done well to cut down on the strikeouts, but he has only four home runs. Colt Keith is hitting over .300 but has yet to go deep a single time. The aforementioned Torres is off to a sluggish start as well.
The Tigers will also need external help. Even if the team is able to claw their way back into contention, this roster, as constructed, is not good enough. The Tigers’ lineup lacks requisite thump, there isn’t really anybody you can fully trust to start postseason games beyond Skubal and Valdez and even the bullpen has had its ups and downs. This is a flawed baseball team right now.
In other words, a lot has to go right for the Tigers to even make the playoffs, let alone make noise in October. Can they happen? Sure. Is it likely? Probably not. It’s early, but as the days continue to pass with Skubal out and the Tigers losing, they’re getting closer and closer to realizing that a deadline sell-off might very well be in the cards.
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