By Ken Rosenthal and Cody Stavenhagen
As of this afternoon, the Detroit Tigers had yet to seriously engage clubs in trade discussions involving ace left-hander Tarik Skubal, according to people with two interested clubs who were granted anonymity for their candor.
The deadline is at 6 p.m. ET on Monday. The Tigers are not yet in an urgent position. They know the moment they sent out word, the offers for Skubal will come quickly. In the meantime, they are leaving open the possibility of holding him, knowing it likely will do them little harm.
The possibility of Skubal staying in Detroit still appears slim. The Tigers (51-58) enter a three-game series in Sacramento this weekend 6 1/2 games out in the AL Central and 4 1/2 games back in the wild-card race. Per Fangraphs, their playoff odds are 25.3 percent.
The Tigers took a precautionary measure today with another of their trade candidates, right-hander Casey Mize, scratching him from his start and going with a bullpen game instead. If they truly were placing importance on this series, they seemingly would want Mize to pitch, rather than hold him out until after the deadline.
Mize, though, has been dealing with a groin issue. His velocity was down early in his most recent start. He said he was in no pain, but was working through a mechanical adjustment.
At some point soon, probably before Sunday, the Tigers will need to determine their course. All trades involve an exchange of medical records. Any team paying a steep acquisition cost for Skubal will want to do a complete review of his history.
Skubal, 29, underwent an innovative surgery May 6 to remove a loose body from his left elbow. Since returning on June 13, he has a 2.70 ERA in eight starts. He previously underwent Tommy John surgery in 2016 and flexor tendon surgery in 2022.