According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Seattle Mariners, or anyone else, won't be trading for Tarik Skubal this offseason.

We heard last week that the M's would be aggressive in trying to trade for Skubal, but Nightengale says the Detroit Tigers aren't expected to deal him.

The Tigers will at least listen on Skubal, but would have to be completely overwhelmed. Considering that teams know that he won’t sign an extension and plans to hit free agency in a year commanding the biggest deal or a pitcher in history, no one will dare up give up more than two top-10 prospects. The Tigers are expected to hang onto him until at least the July 2026 trade deadline.

Could the M's meet the asking price?

Of course they could. The Mariners have eight Top-100 prospects according to MLB Pipeline, and they could absolutely come up with a package to entice the Tigers. The real question is, should they? Should they mortgage significant parts of the future in order to take an all-in chance in 2026?

Why would the Tigers trade him?

Well, to Nightengale's point, he's in the final year of his contract and isn't expected to sign an extension. That said, I wouldn't trade Skubal if I were them, as I noted on the most recent 'Refuse to Lose' podcast:

What is the reason why I wouldn't do it if I were the Tigers? Look no further than the Toronto Blue Jays team that just got to game 7 of the World Series less than a week ago. Look no further than them. They are the blueprint.

The Blue Jays were in this situation that the Tigers are in one year ago.

Should they trade Vladimir Guerrero Jr.? Should they trade Bo Bichette? Should they blow it up? Should they start over? Should they build the farm system? Should they get prospects? Should they hit the reset button? Should they reallocate resources? And look, team was coming off a last place finish in the American League East, but you know what? Instead of blowing it up, instead of pulling the rip cord one year early, what did they do? They doubled and tripled down, and you know what? They were rewarded for it.

Coming off a last place season, with plenty of motivation to trade Vlad, Bichette, or both, they kept Bo Bichette, they kept Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and they went out and they made runs at Max Fried and Juan Soto and Roki Sasaki, and they signed Anthony Santander, and they picked up Max Scherzer and Jeff Hoffman, and you know what? They turned that 74-win team into being 25 minutes away from a World Series title. That is the blueprint.

The Detroit Tigers got to game 5 of the ALDS against the Mariners. They're not as far off as the Blue Jays seemed a year ago. So if they keep Tarik Skubal, they should keep Tarik Skubal, and they should double down also.

All the Tarik Skubal Trade Conversation You Need + Freddie Coleman of ESPN Radio Refuse to Lose - a Seattle Mariners Podcast · Episode

Is Skubal a need or a want?

We talked about this on the podcast as well. Skubal is a luxury item, and if you're going to go after a luxury item, you better fix all the basic necessities too. In the M's case? That means finding a way to re-sign or replicate the production of Josh Naylor, Eugenio Suarez and Jorge Polanco.

Conclusion

The Mariners should call the Tigers about Skubal, and they should pursue him, but only if they are truly willing to do the rest of the roster work that's needed. And even then, there is always a limit as to what you should give up, even for the best pitcher on the planet.

Related Mariners Stories

LATEST PODCAST IS OUT: Brady Farkas is back for the the latest episode of the Refuse to Lose podcast! He talks about all angles of the Tarik Skubal trade conversation, including if the Mariners actually need him, and then he's joined by ESPN Radio host Freddie Coleman, who talks heartbreaking losses, and even gives a little Seahawks insight. CLICK HERE: 

COULD M's MAKE MOVE FOR SKUBAL? According to Buster Olney of ESPN, it's possible. CLICK HERE: 

LEODY FINDS NEW HOME: Former M's outfielder Leody Taveras has signed on with an AL foe. CLICK HERE: 

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