Top-tier MLB players participating in the World Baseball Classic has been a hotly contested issue for a while now. The argument reached a fever pitch back in 2023 when star closer Edwin Diaz suffered a knee injury after celebrating the final out of a game for team Puerto Rico. This was right after he signed a big-time contract with the New York Mets, and he ultimately missed the 2023 season, which turned out to be a disastrous one for the Mets.
As the World Baseball Classic has grown in popularity, so has the number of players who want to participate. For some players, this is the closest they’ll ever get to the World Series, and it allows them to represent their country. I have no problem with it. I think a player is every bit as likely to get injured in spring training as they are in the WBC. At the same time, I think a lot of Tigers fans were excited when they found out that Tarik Skubal was going to be a part of the WBC roster in 2026. Notable Tigers have never been part of the United States' World Baseball Classic roster, and it’s great to see one of our own representing the US, but it clearly comes with a caveat. Cody Stavenhagen reported today that Tarik is only scheduled to make one start in the World Baseball Classic. It seems like he’s left the door open for a potential return if the team were to make it to the finals, but we’ll see.
I am 99.9% sure this is a Scott Boras move. If you’re a competitor and we have seen over the last several years that Tarik Skubal definitely is, you want to compete as much as possible. I don’t think that Tarik went to Mark DeRosa and told his teammates on the United States roster that he looks forward to only making one start. But this is a business, and ultimately, players don’t get paid based on what they do in the WBC; they get paid based on what they do in the regular season, and Tarik is only one more full season away from getting paid a monumental contract. If the WBC were to take place next year, this might be a completely different story.
If you’re a fan of another team and looking forward to the World Baseball Classic to see Tarik Skubal represent the United States, I can understand your disappointment. But speaking as a Tiger fan, this doesn’t really bother me that much. The writing has been on the wall for a while. Tarik probably won’t be a Tiger beyond this season, and the top priority should be the team that pays him. I’m not trying to throw shade, but this isn’t a Mike Trout situation where he is going to give 100% because the team that he plays for has no chance of ever playing in games of this magnitude. The Tigers believe that they have a realistic shot at winning the World Series this year, or at least winning the pennant, and Tarik will go a long way with that. If he just ends up making one start in the WBC, so be it.