KINGMAN – How long Tarik Skubal will remain in Motown and whether the back-to-back American League Cy Young award winner will be rewarded with a record-breaking deal in his next contract are points of intrigue across the Major League Baseball (MLB) scene.
The 29-year-old Kingman Academy of Learning graduate enters free agency at the end of this season. Few expect him to remain a Detroit Tiger because the organization lacks the resources to provide the humongous salary the big lefty will command.
The first question to be answered is whether Skubal will be kept to the end of the season to fortify a Tigers’ bid for the playoffs, or whether he’ll be dealt to another team ahead of the Aug. 3 MLB trading deadline.
A simple google leads to an abundance of news articles and podcasts offering some insight, and lots of speculation as to Skubal’s future. And it’s no surprise that MLB’s heavyweights have their eyes on the prize.
Sportswriter Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic wrote last week that the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees are Skubal’s most aggressive suitors to date. Baseball insider Jon Heyman tweeted over the weekend that the Yankees are contemplating offering top prospects George Lombard Jr. and Carlos Lagrange to bolster an already talented starting pitching lineup with Skubal in its mix.
The Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox and Milwaukee Brewers are some of the other teams mentioned as potential Skubal landing spots. Any franchise would love to add Skubal to its roster, but the list of potential bidders for his services is pared down to teams that are in playoff contention and organizations that have the capital to secure him.
An abysmal 6-22-win-loss record in May leaves the Tigers 11 games (33-44) under .500 and a 4th-place standing in the American League Central Division entering play June 22.
Skubal and other Detroit players becoming free agents are well aware they may get traded before the pending deadline so the organization can get players back rather than see them walk at the end of the campaign, fetching no talent in return. Skubal recently told the Detroit News that trades and a team makeover will become reality unless the Tigers turn their season around to get into contention for post season play.
The next question becomes whether any team acquiring the Kingman kid looks at him as a “rental” to finish the season and improve playoff hopes for the new Skubal squad, or if the organization also wants to sign him to a long-term deal.
Skubal won a record setting $32-million salary this season through arbitration. And he has the best agent in sports in Scott Boras, to help land what might be a new record for a starting pitcher.
Yashinobu Yamamoto of the Dodgers is currently paid the most among MLB pitchers, $325-million over 12 years.
Baseball pundits had speculated a price point of $400-million or more to secure Skubal for a multi-year contract before he was sidelined with injury. Removal of bone chips from his throwing elbow during May 6 surgery injected some uncertainty in the fiscal forecast for Skubal.
Skubal has made appearances since coming off the Injured List. He gave up 5 earned runs across 10.1 innings during starts on June 13 and 19.
Skubal’s next start is scheduled Wednesday, June 24, at home, against the Yankees.
Dave Hawkins
