As Tarik Skubal weighs sticking around Team USA, his decision shouldn’t be criticized

HOUSTON — Whatever Tarik Skubal decides, I don’t want to hear it.

Don’t want to hear it from anyone who might criticize Skubal for leaving Team USA when he is potentially nine months away from signing a $400 million free-agent contract.

Don’t want to hear it from Skubal’s major-league club, the Detroit Tigers, or his agent, Scott Boras, if the ace left-hander ultimately chooses to make one more start for his country.

This decision is intensely personal. It should be Skubal’s alone. And in a social media obsessed society often reduced to a cacophony of complaints, the back-to-back American League Cy Young award winner should be spared the cynicism that, regardless of his choice, is certain to come his way.

U.S. pitchers entering their free-agent years routinely chose to skip past World Baseball Classics. Skubal, who stands to make the most money of all of them, chose to participate. Chose to pitch even after throwing a career-high 195 1/3 innings last season, plus 20 2/3 more in the playoffs.

He gave up a homer by Great Britain’s Nate Eaton on his first pitch Saturday night, then delivered his usual brilliance in Team USA’s 9-1 victory. The only other hit Skubal allowed in three innings was an infield single. He struck out five and walked none, but was done after 41 pitches. His agreed upon limit was in the 50-to-55 pitch range.

Skubal’s plan from the beginning was to pitch once instead of twice in the WBC, then return to the Tigers to prepare for perhaps his final Opening Day start with Detroit. That still is his most likely course. But Skubal clearly is torn about leaving Team USA, more than he anticipated.

“This is going to be one of the tougher decisions I’ve made in my career so far,” he said.

He spoke glowingly about the environment of the tournament, the high-level baseball conversations in Team USA’s clubhouse, the guest speakers who have inspired him. He acknowledged that the experience has changed his perspective, reinforced how proud he is to be an American.

“There are people that make real sacrifices for me to go out and play a kids’ game,” Skubal said.

He will talk with Boras, talk with the Tigers, talk with his family. Boras almost certainly will discourage Skubal from making another high-intensity start in mid-March, fearing an injury that might derail his free agency. The Tigers, who will pay their ace $32 million this season after losing to him in arbitration, surely harbor similar concerns.

The schedule is another problem.

In theory, Skubal could return to the Tigers and pitch on four days rest in a Grapefruit League game March 12 in Lakeland, Fla. He then could start on four days rest again in the WBC final March 17 in Miami, assuming Team USA got that far.

The Tigers, however, open their season in San Diego on March 26. If Skubal continued pitching every fifth day, a schedule the Tigers already might consider too compressed at this point in the spring, he effectively would need to choose between starting the WBC final and starting Opening Day.

Pitching in both games would be impossible unless Skubal significantly disrupted his routine. An eight-day layoff between the WBC final and Opening Day would qualify as such a disruption, and perhaps increase his risk of injury.

Figure it out, you say? Mix in a live batting practice, a bullpen session, whatever it takes? Easy for you or me to say. In the odd chance Skubal got hurt, the people claiming he should make another start for Team USA would be the same people faulting him for a decision that went awry.

Skubal’s WBC teammates get it. One after another in recent days have said they understand the difficulty of his position.

“We all know the importance of getting to wear USA on the chest and what it means to be on this team,” said right-hander Clay Holmes, who followed Skubal on Saturday night by striking out six and walking none in three scoreless innings.

“The guys who are here, the guys who are committed, it’s a special group. Everybody feels that pull. You want to be here. But there’s also an understanding there’s a pull in other directions, a season to get ready for. Sometimes you have to make hard decisions. There is an understanding of that, no matter how much we want to win this.”

First baseman Bryce Harper, who, like Skubal, is represented by Boras, expressed a similar sentiment.

“He’s got to do what’s best for himself and his career,” Harper said. “If he wants to stay, awesome, we’d love to have him, love him to start for us. But on the other side, I understand what it’s all about. For him to come in and even pitch with everything he has to do this year to get the dollar amount he wants, I respect it.”

Tigers manager AJ Hinch told reporters Saturday that he fully expected Skubal to return to camp after his start against Great Britain. Team USA manager Mark DeRosa offered a counterpoint before Sunday’s game, saying, “How could you want to leave this? It’s been unbelievable so far, it really has, exactly what I dreamed it would be.”

DeRosa was referring to the camaraderie among the players, their selflessness, their willingness to make whatever sacrifice is necessary for the team. Which is not to say he was critical of Skubal. DeRosa is well aware of the conflicting forces with which Skubal is contending, and initially did not expect the pitcher to join Team USA.

The bottom line is Skubal already has sacrificed, just by breaking from his normal preparation as he gears up for the most important season of his career. He should not be criticized if he declines to take on additional risk. Nor should he be criticized if he determines the risk is worthwhile.

Just this once, let’s look at the glass as half-full rather than half-empty. One way or another, Skubal will be making a commitment. The only question is which of his teams will benefit most.