AL Cy Young Winner Tarik Skubal Joins Team USA Amid Tigers Trade Speculation

Reigning AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal has joined Team USA for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, a significant boost to their pitching rotation. However, the Detroit Tigers are reportedly far apart on extension talks with Skubal, who is one year from free agency. A trade is being considered as a painful but necessary step for the Tigers, who could get a substantial return for the back-to-back Cy Young winner. Skubal, 30, faces injury risk betting on himself, having had Tommy John surgery in 2016, making a trade a complex decision for both sides.