***Official 2026 Detroit Tigers Thread***

[hairysasquatch]

So, are we OK with Harris trading Skubal over the winter?

What would it take to appease you if he does?

[hairysasquatch]

Where Tigers fans?

[bub838]

Originally Posted by hairysasquatch

Where Tigers fans?

We're tired, man.

[base set]

I think nobody wants to answer the key question. One that only Chris Illitch can answer. Maybe he’d rather procrastinate on it too.

[JustinVerlander07]

I didn't realize we had a 2026 thread before 2025 is over! I just posted this in the 2025 thread:

All the Skubal stuff is so confusing. Boras's comments today appear he may be on drugs. Seems like Skubal is (fairly) risk adverse and wants the bag now and not risk going into 2026 without a contract (and who knows what the CBA looks like if he waits), so they're trying to force a trade or gaslight the fanbase into pressuring the team.

[dantheman514]

I think they should try to sign him this winter; if he doesn't want to sign or we don't offer him enough, they have to trade him. They cannot risk him walking after next season and getting nothing but a compensation pick.

[JustinVerlander07]

Originally Posted by dantheman514

I think they should try to sign him this winter; if he doesn't want to sign or we don't offer him enough, they have to trade him. They cannot risk him walking after next season and getting nothing but a compensation pick.

I disagree with this notion, a player of his caliber can be traded at the deadline if they aren't a playoff team and get slightly less for him than if they did it now.

[base set]

I would agree that the July option is viable. I always thought Avila was too timid to trade away pieces in the winter, when we had no chance at being relevant in July anyway. Now, that’s different.

[Scottish Punk]

what is the market for him this off season? Tigers should get a couple of ++ prospects and a young major league ready arm at a minimum, right? I am open to waiting until July and see how things play out. If there is a real good offer in the off season, you take it. I am also open to signing him, but it depends on length of contract of course. 10 years is too much. 7 or 8 years is much more palatable.

[hairysasquatch]

Originally Posted by JustinVerlander07

I didn't realize we had a 2026 thread before 2025 is over! I just posted this in the 2025 thread:

All the Skubal stuff is so confusing. Boras's comments today appear he may be on drugs. Seems like Skubal is (fairly) risk adverse and wants the bag now and not risk going into 2026 without a contract (and who knows what the CBA looks like if he waits), so they're trying to force a trade or gaslight the fanbase into pressuring the team.

2025 season is over - glad you found us here!

[JustinVerlander07]

Now we have Skubal seemingly complaining about trade rumors when it's HIS AGENT leaking all the rumors.

What a world.

[NickyCards]

Not a Tigers fan, but I think the smart move is to just trade him, unless you’re absolutely ready to outbid either NY team, Boston, or LA.

Mets and Yankees could both give young pitching and bats in return.

[base set]

Internet trade proposals written by AI aren’t the same thing as rumors. If the Tigers pull the trade trigger I’d expect it will damage their ticket and TV package sales, so no need to hurry it up. The made-up proposals will continue and they have a nice side effect for the content mills - complaints about it all make for more, you guessed it, content.

[Scottish Punk]

Originally Posted by JustinVerlander07

Now we have Skubal seemingly complaining about trade rumors when it's HIS AGENT leaking all the rumors.

What a world.

This way Skubal remains the good guy. I expect him to be traded and I expect Tigers fans to be outraged at out little they get for him.

[JustinVerlander07]

Small world, was at the grocery store and passed Andy Dirks, didn't say anything he was talking to someone it seemed like he knew.

[hairysasquatch]

Looking more and more like Skub is gonna be traded.

[dunquixote1]

Skubal should be traded. I have no confidence that if we sign him or let him play out his final year that we'll do anything other than trot out the same lineup that's lost the last two years in the playoffs. If we trade for prospects we could catch lighting in a bottle I supposed. But I have no interest in watching this same team go out there again only to lose in the WC or Division series.

[JustinVerlander07]

Finnegan back on a 2 year $19 million deal is fantastic.

[dantheman514]

Originally Posted by dunquixote1

Skubal should be traded. I have no confidence that if we sign him or let him play out his final year that we'll do anything other than trot out the same lineup that's lost the last two years in the playoffs. If we trade for prospects we could catch lighting in a bottle I supposed. But I have no interest in watching this same team go out there again only to lose in the WC or Division series.

This is where I am as well. If they're not going to go all in and bring in some bats and starters to support Skubal, they may as well trade him. The worst thing they can do is to stand pat for the most part and run it back with the same squad. It's time to poop or get off the pot; it's time to be bold one way or the other.

[base set]

A nice long piece on the Bless You Boys blog today on the current state of the Pitching development program:

https://www.blessyouboys.com/detroit...er-development

[JRX]

Originally Posted by dantheman514

This is where I am as well. If they're not going to go all in and bring in some bats and starters to support Skubal, they may as well trade him. The worst thing they can do is to stand pat for the most part and run it back with the same squad. It's time to poop or get off the pot; it's time to be bold one way or the other.

Just send him to the Dodgers so we get a multi year lockout and salary cap followed by the collapse of the sport.

[seanrs1]

The Tigers need to trade Skubal with their current philosophy of draft and develop above all else, and keeping payroll pretty steady where its at. If you are not going to add a bunch of pieces to go for a WS, and you are not going to meet Skubal/Boras demands on an extension, then it seems foolish to keep Skubal and lose him to free agency at the end of the year.

Is this what I want? No I want the Tigers to spend and to sign Skubal to an extension. But if ownership is not willing, than you need to trade him now to get pieces for the future.

[regularp]

Detroit is the retirement home for relievers.

Joe Nathan, K-Rod, Troy Percival, Tommy Kahnle and now Kenley Jansen.

[hairysasquatch]

I couldn't believe Jansen was still in the league. More Harris dumpster-diving to come?

[JustinVerlander07]

Originally Posted by hairysasquatch

I couldn't believe Jansen was still in the league. More Harris dumpster-diving to come?

His underlying peripherals give pause for concern (a lot of it from my POV), but the results for him were great last year. This definitely feels like it could be Joe Nathan as a Tiger or K-Rod year 1. Hard to say.