With the trade deadline just days away, no pitcher has generated more buzz than Tarik Skubal. The Detroit Tigers are hovering outside the American League playoff picture, and the two-time Cy Young Award winner is set to become a free agent after the season. While contenders such as the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees continue to be linked to him in blockbuster trade rumors, the ace remains focused on something entirely different.

“I think we have a chance to win a World Series,” Tarik Skubal said, as per Brad Galli on X. “I’ve said that since spring training. That’s never changed. That belief in this team has never changed throughout the season.”

When reporters asked Skubal on Thursday if he wanted to stay with the Tigers for the entire season, he promptly answered, “Yeah.” The 29-year-old made his MLB debut with the team in 2020, and he has been with Detroit since then. And while the Tigers managed to reach the playoffs in 2024 and 2025, a World Series is still out of his reach.

This year, they are fourth in the AL Central with a 49-54 record, but Skubal doesn’t want to worry about that. The starting pitcher remains unfazed by all the trade buzz surrounding him. 

“I’ll just repeat the same answer. I mean, all that stuff’s out of my control,” he said when the reporters asked him about the trade rumors. “I’m going to do my best to put our team in a position to win a baseball game tomorrow, and that’s really all I can ask myself to do.”

Tarik Skubal has a 6-5 record this season, and he has a 2.83 ERA. Back in 2024, he became the first AL pitcher since 2011 to lead the league in wins, strikeouts, and ERA. He also earned back-to-back MLB All-Star selections and AL Cy Young awards in the last two years. While his current numbers aren’t as impressive as the previous seasons, he is still one of the most effective starters. 

He is currently on his one-year, $32 million contract. This means contenders can bag a highly effective starting pitcher without having to spend a huge amount of money. That’s why he is repeatedly being linked with teams like the Dodgers, Brewers, Cubs and Yankees. 

However, the Tigers haven’t made a decision yet. Although they are in the bottom half of their division, Detroit has won 27 of 43 games since June. They are currently 4.0 games behind the last spot in the AL Wild Card and 6.0 games behind the divisional leaders, the Chicago White Sox. 

That’s why sending Skubal away isn’t really a win-win scenario at this point. Plus, the franchise would prefer an MLB-ready pitcher if they eventually trade him, and contenders might not be willing to give up someone that easily. 

While the teams and their front offices play tug-of-war, Tarik Skubal is enjoying his time on the mound following his return from arthroscopic surgery. He has a 0.93 WHIP and recorded 98 strikeouts from 14 starts. He has also explicitly stated that he would leave the trade-related discussion to his agent, Scott Boras, and the Tigers’ front office.