2x Cy Young Award Winner Tarik Skubal Opens up About Trade Rumors Linking Him Away from Tigers

Tarik Skubal claimed his 2nd successive Cy Young Award as he dominated the opposition batters, going 13-6 in the regular season with a 2.21 ERA.

2x Cy Young Award Winner Tarik Skubal Opens up About Trade Rumors Linking Him Away from Tigers

Tarik Skubal (Image via X/@JustBB_Media)

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The 2025 season was another fantastic one for Tarik Skubal. The Detroit Tigers star dominated from the mound once again and picked up his 2nd straight Cy Young Award. On Thursday, the ace pitcher opened up about the trade rumors that are circulating regarding him.

Skubal has been in trade rumors for a while now. The team’s failure to make a deep postseason and its struggles to win its division title have led to many linking him away from the Tigers and joining some of the big market teams.

The pitcher, who turned 29 on Thursday, would make an appearance on the Foul Territory podcast. In this, he would comment on the trade rumors surrounding him and expressed that he has no “control” over them.

The way social media is, it’s hard not to see things about yourself, especially when it’s talking about trades and kind of all those hypotheticals… it’s all out of my control… It’s not like I want to be traded. So it is, it does kind of like, you know, ‘hey, why am I in this? Why am I in this conversation to begin with?’… I try to just stay off of it and not look at it.

Tarik Skubal said on Foul Territory podcast

Following his 2nd successive Cy Young Award triumph, Skubal expressed that he wanted to be a Tiger for a very long time.

The Tigers had a topsy-turvy season in 2025. After dominating the AL Central for the large part of the season, they stumbled in the final month. Their slump was followed with a surge in the form of the Cleveland Guardians.

In the end, the Guardians successfully overcame a 15.5-game deficit to win the division title. This became the largest division lead a team had blown in the MLB.

Skubal and the Tigers eventually had the last laugh over the Guardians. Following a dominating performance in Game 1, the Tigers eliminated their division rivals from the Wild Card Series in Game 3.

They then traded some blows with the Seattle Mariners in the ALDS. Despite a strong showing in Game 5, Skubal and his team ended up losing the contest following a Jorge Polanco walk-off single in the bottom of the 15th inning.

Tarik Skubal calls out reports of contract talks with Tigers during offseason

In the offseason, there are always several rumors and stories regarding players. During his appearance at the Foul Territory podcast, Tarik Skubal called out this reports, especially the ones regarding contract talks with the team.

Tarik Skubal
Tarik Skubal (Image via X/@MLBNetwork)

Last month, a report from Jon Heyman claimed that there was a huge difference in numbers between Skubal and the Tigers. As per the MLB insider, there was a total gap of $250 million in negotiations between the two parties.

While the right-handed pitcher did not name any reports, he revealed having no idea where this huge numbers come from.

There’s not a ton of fact or truth behind any of these things, especially, I mean, even contract stuff. It’s like, I don’t really know where they come up with these numbers or that narrative.

Tarik Skubal said on Foul Territory podcast

Skubal will enter the final year of his contract in the 2026 season. If he does not sign a contract extension with the Tigers, he will become a free agent after the season. He is expected to land a deal worth $400 million.

Tarik Skubal recently refused to sign a Yankees hat

As Tarik Skubal enters the final year of his contract, it is expected that there will be a lot of noise regarding his future. In the midst of this, he recently showcased his loyalty to the Detroit Tigers by refusing to sign a New York Yankees hat.

Tarik Skubal
Tarik Skubal (Image via SB Nation)

The Bronx Bombers are one of the teams that have been reported to be interested in acquiring Skubal. In a recent public appearance, a fan tried to get his autograph on his white Yankees cap. The pitcher would playfully wave him off and declined to sign the Yankees cap.

In the past, the Tigers have lost some of the top pitchers. They do not want that to happen again with Skubal and will likely try to tie him down with a large contract and push for a championship with him leading their pitching rotation.

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