Tigers exec makes curious remark about 'untouchable players' as Tarik Skubal trade rumors swirl

Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal has been the centerpiece of trade rumors since the 2025 season ended.

Skubal put together another terrific season in Motown. He was 13-6 with a 2.21 ERA and had 241 strikeouts. He won his second consecutive American League Cy Young Award and could make a case for being one of the greatest pitchers in franchise history.

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Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal high-fives teammates in the dugout after a pitching change during the seventh inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

Skubal’s future with the Tigers is clouded as trade rumors have swirled around him. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox have already been mentioned as potential suitors.

Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris fanned the flames of the rumor mill as he spoke to MLB Network during the winter meetings in Orlando, Florida.

"I don't believe in untouchable players at any level," Harris said, via ESPN. "It's not a commentary on Tarik. It's more of a blanket approach to building a winning organization. My job is to make this organization better ... which means that I need to listen to every opportunity, no matter how likely or unlikely it is to actually happen. I've got to listen because we've got to get better as an organization, so that's our approach.

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) throws against the Seattle Mariners during the third inning during game five of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at T-Mobile Park on Oct. 10, 2025. (Steven Bisig/Imagn Images)

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"We don't have everything figured out, but it's led to a ton of success in a very short period of time. And I can stand here and credibly say that we have both a bright present and a bright future, and this approach has led to that."

Why would the Tigers trade Skubal now after back-to-back fantastic seasons?

Skubal has one more season left before he would become a free agent. He’s a pitcher who could potentially demand hundreds of millions of dollars in his next deal. The Tigers trading him in the offseason or before the 2026 trade deadline would likely garner valuable prospects to build for the future.

Harris said he wouldn’t speculate on the possibility of trading any particular player and that Skubal was a big part of what the team was trying to build right now.

Jun 12, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) looks on during the seventh inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 12, 2025. (Daniel Kucin Jr./Imagn Images)

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Detroit was 87-75 and defeated the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Wild Card Series. The Tigers then lost to the Seattle Mariners in five games in the American League Division Series.

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