The American League is doing the Braves no favors when it comes to potential trade discussions. There are tons of talented teams well below .500 that should only be thinking about selling this time of year. But because everybody is underachieving, even teams 10 games under .500 sit only five games out of the final Wild Card spot — and clubs simply don’t like to punt on a season with two months remaining if they feel they have any kind of chance.
A lot can still change over the next couple of weeks. One losing streak and teams currently thinking about buying might reconsider their options — and a club everybody will be watching closely is the Detroit Tigers.
A month ago, the Tigers selling at the deadline seemed like a foregone conclusion. They had the worst record in the majors, but their 22-14 run since has been the best mark in the AL. And even though they’re still eight games under .500, they’re only 3.5 games back in the Wild Card race with an outside shot at making a run in a weak division.
If things stay that way, it’s hard to imagine they’d consider trading Tarik Skubal at the deadline — something Ken Rosenthal acknowledged on his latest episode of Foul Territory.
“So, if you’re the Tigers — yeah, you’re eight games under .500, but you’re 3.5 games out in the Wild Card race, only 6.5 games out in a weak division, you certainly have a chance,” Rosenthal said. “You’ve got a chance because Skubal is healthy. Other players are healthy as well, and you’re in a weak division in a weak league.
“So, a lot depends not just for the Tigers but for all teams on what happens in the next two-and-a-half weeks. It’s almost going to be like a pennant race of its own because we’re going to see teams trying to define themselves. And it just seems to me unless the Tigers outright collapse, that they’re going to be inclined to keep Skubal and go for it. And why not?”
Tarik Skubal has been linked to the Braves by multiple MLB insiders leading up to the deadline, with Bob Nightengale even reporting that Atlanta should be viewed as the favorite to land him. Unfortunately, Rosenthal hits the nail on the head with his analysis.
The Tigers aren’t just alive in the playoff race. They’ve got a fantastic shot to win their division, and the American League is so bad from top to bottom that they probably feel like they have a real chance to reach the World Series with Skubal leading the way.
Detroit didn’t hold onto Skubal through the offseason just to punt midway through the season for a lesser return while they’re still in the race. The Tigers will likely have to slide back in the standings over the next two weeks for them to reconsider their position. Right now, everything is trending toward Skubal staying in Detroit for the rest of the season.
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(Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire)