Tarik Skubal may have made his final start in a Tigers uniform. According to ESPN's Jeff Passan on SportsCenter, Detroit's plan is clear: the back-to-back Cy Young Award winner is fully expected to be traded in the coming days. With Skubal set to become a free agent after the 2026 season, the Tigers believe they'll receive a significantly larger return package now than they would if they simply let him walk in free agency.

If Wednesday was indeed his farewell, Skubal certainly went out in style. The ace tossed six scoreless innings, leaving the game with Detroit comfortably ahead 7-0. It looked like the perfect ending to his Tigers career. Instead, the game turned into one of the most stunning collapses of the season. Detroit's bullpen surrendered the lead, and the Tigers ultimately fell 10-9 in extra innings, wasting another dominant outing from their ace.

The Tigers now sit at 51-58 in a mediocre American League. While they're only 4.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot, the organization appears to recognize that this team isn't built to make a deep postseason run. The betting markets tell the same story. A $100 World Series bet on the Tigers placed before the season is now worth just $34 on the secondary market, reflecting the sharp decline in expectations.

Now, all signs point toward Skubal pitching elsewhere by the trade deadline. As one of the best pitchers in baseball, the two-time reigning Cy Young winner is expected to command one of the largest trade packages in recent memory, making him the most coveted arm available as contenders look to bolster their rotations for a postseason run.

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