The Detroit Tigers are demanding multiple top prospects and a controlled pitcher from any team seeking to acquire Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal before the trade deadline, per New York Post reporter Jon Heyman. Detroit sits at 34-46 and 7.5 games back in the AL Central, yet retains significant bargaining power because the historically weak 2026 American League keeps the Tigers technically alive in the playoff race.
The Asking Price
From the New York Yankees specifically, Detroit sought No. 1 overall prospect George Lombard — widely regarded as a top-20 prospect in baseball — and No. 4 prospect Carlos Lagrange, a reliever. The Yankees reportedly balked. Heyman's broader account of Detroit's demands: pitching under team control for several years, plus athletic hitters close to big-league readiness.
Skubal is under contract only through the end of the 2026 season. He is represented by Scott Boras, making a pre-free-agency extension unlikely.
The 2026 AL Context
Entering Wednesday's games, just two American League teams carried a positive run differential; eight National League teams did. The division-leading Chicago White Sox stood at 41-38, having been outscored by three runs across the full season.
Detroit is five games back of the third wild-card spot, with five AL teams ahead of them in the standings. In a stronger league, that gap would effectively close the trade-or-hold conversation. In the 2026 AL, it does not.
Skubal's Current Status
Skubal returned this season from surgery for an arm injury and has not yet reasserted his 2025 form. Velocity is down relative to last season. His track record, however, remains among the game's best — he is the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner — which sustains Detroit's asking price through his recovery.
The Tigers entered 2026 having reinforced the roster: the front office signed Framber Valdez, re-signed Gleyber Torres and Justin Verlander, and added Kenley Jansen to the bullpen. Their 2025 season ended one round short of the ALCS, falling to the Seattle Mariners.
What the Deadline Forces
With the trade deadline more than a month away, Detroit can present any interested club with a direct choice: meet the asking price now, or risk losing Skubal entirely — including to the Los Angeles Dodgers, should the Tigers remain in contention and a competitive bidding situation develop in late July.
No team has yet matched the price. As Detroit's record moves in either direction over the coming weeks, the calculus for both sides will shift accordingly.