Tarik Skubal: The chances of him being traded are slim

Not too long ago, it seemed certain that Tarik Skubal would be traded by the Detroit Tigers before the trade deadline. At the very least, it was clear that this was the way to go.

But in a weak American League Central division—and an American League that's weak overall—the Tigers have managed to turn things around in recent weeks.

Despite a record of 44 wins and 52 losses—eight games below .500—Detroit is just three and a half games out of a playoff spot. Add to that a favorable schedule leading up to the trade deadline, and the Tigers suddenly find themselves in a position to qualify for the postseason.

So much so that, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the chances of the Tigers trading away the two-time Cy Young Award winner are virtually nil.

The chances are significantly lower than they were on June 1.

This is compounded by the fact that the player himself has no intention of leaving his cozy nest.

All of this will, of course, depend—not only for the Tigers but also for many Major League Baseball teams—on what happens over the next two and a half weeks. But unless the Tigers completely fall apart, they'll be inclined to keep Skubal and try their luck at winning the division title or securing a best-second-place spot.

Admittedly, the Tigers are in the American League, where—if they take off as expected at the start of the season and perhaps add pieces to the puzzle as Rosenthal suggests—they could become league champions and maybe even World Series champions.

However, if that doesn't happen and they come away empty-handed, they'll be left with nothing but memories of one of the best pitchers in franchise history, as they would lose him for absolutely nothing at the end of this season.

Created by humans, assisted by AI.