Tarik Skubal Reveals Why He Wants to Stay in Detroit
As the Major League Baseball trade deadline inches closer, Tarik Skubal has made it clear that his focus remains exactly where it has been all season: winning in Detroit.
Skubal addressed trade speculation and his belief in the Tigers' postseason chances before Thursday night's game against the Kansas City Royals. Despite being the biggest name connected to rumors across the league, Skubal isn't letting the noise distract him.
Skubal Isn't Letting Trade Rumors Become a Distraction
"I'll just repeat the same answer. That's out of my control. I'm going to do my best to put our team in a position to win a baseball game tomorrow, and that's really all I can ask myself to do," Skubal said when asked about the trade rumors.
The speculation surrounding Skubal has intensified every five days, but he's not thinking about his potential last start in a Tigers uniform. "That might be reality a little bit, but five days later there could be another home start. I don't know how the rotation is going to shake out, but hopefully I'm throwing," he added.
The Tigers ace is represented by Scott Boras, and many assume the super agent is deeply involved in every conversation surrounding his future. However, Skubal suggested that's probably not the case. "I don't even know how informed Scott Boras is going to be with those decisions. I don't know how much the front office talks to him, so anything I'd say would just be speculation," he said.
Skubal Wants to Win It All in Detroit
When asked about where he wants to play, Skubal left little room for interpretation. "I think we have a chance to win a World Series. I've believed that since spring training, and that belief has never changed," he said. He went even further, reflecting on what the Tigers organization has meant to his career. "Going into spring training, I had never been more motivated to win a World Series for this city. This is the team that drafted me in 2018 and helped develop me. That's always been the goal, and that won't change unless I'm told I'm on a different team."
The Tigers Still Believe
While outside projections have cast doubt on Detroit's postseason chances, Skubal isn't buying into those odds. "I don't know if I believe those odds. I've been on a team that had a two percent chance to make the playoffs, and we did it. I'm not going to speculate on percentages," he said. His message was simple: the Tigers don't need to worry about percentages or projections; they simply need to keep winning baseball games.
Waiting Like Everyone Else
With the July 31 trade deadline approaching, Skubal admitted he expects to learn his fate the same way everyone else will. "I have no idea. Those questions aren't really for me. I don't know how they handle the business side of things. I've been around it a couple of times, and they usually don't know until about five minutes before you guys do. I'm assuming it'll be handled the same way," he said.
Source: Yahoo Sports