The Tigers lost a heartbreaker in Game 5 of the ALDS when they fell to the Mariners in 15 innings. Detroit was viewed as one of the best teams if not the best team in baseball throughout the first half but slumped to a 34-43 record from the start of July onward. They lost control of the AL Central despite boasting an 11.5-game lead on August 23rd, but they managed to put away the Guardians in the AL Wild Card Series even after ceding the division crown to them just days earlier. Its easy to argue that Detroit would not have made it to the postseason at all if not for ace , the reigning AL Cy Young winner and 2025 Cy Young frontrunner. Over the past two seasons, Skubal has posted numbers that few pitchers can hope to match 387 1/3 innings, 2.30 ERA, 31.2 K%, 4.5 BB% and hes been e sential to both of Detroits runs into the playoffs for the past two years. Skubal wont be around forever, however. Hes scheduled to hit free agency during the 2026-27 offseason. With just $28.3MM on the books in guaranteed contracts for 2027 according to , one can argue that the Tigers must do whatever it takes to extend Skubal or re-sign him in free agency. An extension doesnt appear likely, though. If Skubal turns in a season anything like his 2024-25 campaigns, he could justifiably take aim at setting a new record among starting pitchers. s $325MM deal with the Dodgers stands as the current mark after narrowly edging out s $324MM deal with the Yankees. The Tigers have never spent more on a player than they did , who they inked to an eight-year, $248MM extension back in 2014. The Tigers of the past few years havent come close to approaching the sort of overall spending they put forward during the 2016-17 seasons, when they carried a payroll in the $200MM range. Would the Tigers be willing to give out a franchise-record deal to keep their ace? Asked about the matter after his season ended, Skubal himself told the Tigers beat that his job is to go out there and play and that such conversations are better left to the front office ( ). President of baseball operations Scott Harris isnt tipping his hand publicly one way or another, however. Listen, I totally understand the question and understand that you Willie Mcgee Jersey have to ask me, Harris said at the teams end-of-season pre s conference when asked about Skubals future ( , with the Skubal question landing around the 16:00 mark). Ive kind of learned over time, especially with this question, that general comments tend to get chopped up and forced into narratives. I cant comment on our players being traded. I cant comment on free agents, and I cant comment on other teams players. So, Im going to respond by just not actually commenting on it. Tarik is a Tiger. I hope he wins the Cy Young for a second consecutive year. Hes an incredible pitcher, and were lucky to have him. Thats all I can say on that. Fans of other clubs are understandably captivated with the idea of seeing their favorite clubs make a run at a Skubal trade. One could argue that if the Tigers dont believe a long-term deal is po sible, theyre better prioritizing long-term health of the organization than employing a win-at-all-costs-in-2026 mentality. It goes without saying that having Skubal at the front of the teams rotation would give Detroit its best chance of bringing home a championship next year. In addition to his dominant regular season work, hes been a menace in the postseason with a 2.04 ERA, 1.92 FIP, and a 37.8% strikeout rate acro s his six starts. Skubal has not just been e sential to the Tigers getting to October over the past two years, but hes managed to shine when the lights are brightest. Zooming out to look at the larger Tigers organization reveals that Detroit may not be particularly close to full power yet. Star pitching prospect made just ten starts this year before he was sidelined by Tommy John surgery, which is likely to eliminate his entire 2026 campaign. Even setting Jobe aside, the Tigers are bringing along a number of elite prospect talents who figure to make their big league debuts in the next few years. Shortstop is considered one of the sports top 10 prospects and should make his way to the majors next year. Outfield prospect is also frequently ranked as a top-10 leaguewide prospect, while catcher and shortstop are typically regarded as top-50 talents. That upcoming crop of youngsters could pair with Jobe and the teams existing young core to produce a behemoth that competes for years to come. , , and are all controlled through 2028, while is controlled through 2029, will be in town through 2030 and is locked up through 2032. Proponents of a trade would argue that Skubal would fetch the sort of high-end talent who can help replace not only Skubal himself but also other key veterans like , , and . On the other hand, the Tigers already have a touted farm system and know all too well how uncertain the future of even elite prospects can be. It wasnt long ago that Mize and Torkelson were viewed just as highly as McGonigle and Clark are now. They both contributed to the 2025 team, but neither has turned out to be the sort of franchise-defining player the Tigers hoped to be getting when each was drafted with the No. 1 overall pick. Even Skubal battled through four seasons of injuries and mediocrity before coming into form as a superstar last year. How do MLBTR readers think the Tigers should proceed with Skubal this winter? Should they trade him to load up for the future or should the maximize the 2026 even with no guarantees of signing him long-term? Have your say in the poll below: Steven Matz Jersey