DETROIT – Detroit Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris said that trading ace Tarik Skubal and starting pitcher Casey Mize before the MLB trade deadline was a difficult but necessary decision aimed at strengthening the franchise’s long-term future without abandoning hope for the 2026 season.
Speaking to reporters after Monday’s (Aug. 3) deadline, Harris said the Tigers’ position, 2½ games out of an American League wild-card spot, forced the organization to weigh its postseason chances against the opportunity to acquire high-end young talent.
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“I hate selling with every fiber in my body,” Harris said. “I absolutely hate it. But I thought it would be irresponsible not to do it given the markets that we had for Tarik and Casey.”
The Tigers dealt Skubal to the Los Angeles Dodgers and later traded Mize to the San Diego Padres, acquiring multiple highly regarded prospects in return.
Harris said his decision centered on two questions: whether Detroit had done enough to justify trading away future talent to add at the deadline and whether simply keeping Skubal and Mize through the end of the season was worth passing on premium prospect packages.
“I don’t think we played well enough,” Harris said. “I don’t think I did enough for this organization to justify trading a significant part of our future for the present.”
Harris praises departing stars
Before discussing the trades, Harris thanked both pitchers for their contributions to the organization.
He praised Skubal and Mize not only for their performances on the field but also for their work ethic and commitment behind the scenes.
“They have made this organization better,” Harris said. “We’re grateful for everything they have done.”
Why Detroit targeted young pitching and power
Harris said Detroit’s priority was acquiring players capable of becoming impact major leaguers.
He highlighted outfield prospect Zyhir Hope, acquired from the Dodgers, as a potential middle-of-the-order hitter with a rare combination of power and athleticism.
“We wanted to make sure if we were going to lose an impact player, we were also going to gain potential impact players,” Harris said.
He also praised pitching prospects River Ryan, Kash Mayfield and Brady Smith, saying the Tigers needed to improve the organization’s pitching depth.
“In this current age of baseball, it is really hard to find elite stuff,” Harris said of Ryan. “Guys that have real potential to be front-of-the-rotation starters are really hard to find.”
Harris rejects criticism of early Skubal trade
Some observers questioned why Detroit completed the Skubal trade before deadline day rather than waiting for additional offers.
Harris dismissed the criticism, saying the Tigers had already maximized the market.
“The notion that we should have waited 24 or 48 hours later and extracted more value, that’s garbage,” Harris said. “That’s not how these negotiations work.”
He said multiple teams aggressively pursued Skubal and submitted their best offers before Detroit selected the Dodgers’ package.
“There was a bidding war,” Harris said. “The Dodgers ultimately had the best deal.”
Tigers explored extension with Skubal
Harris confirmed Detroit discussed a long-term contract extension with Skubal but said it became clear early that the reigning back-to-back Cy Young Award winner intended to test free agency after the season.
“We explored an extension once,” Harris said. “The response that I got from Tarik’s agent was pretty clear that he was intent on going to free agency.”
Harris said Skubal earned the right to explore the open market and should not be criticized for that decision.
Injuries shaped deadline decisions
Harris also pointed to an extraordinary wave of injuries as a major reason Detroit underperformed this season.
He said the Tigers placed 35 players on the injured list before the trade deadline, creating roster and bullpen issues that derailed the club during a disastrous 6-22 month of May.
“I didn’t really think it was possible to put 35 players on the injured list before the trade deadline,” Harris said.
Harris accepted responsibility for the roster construction.
“I should have built more depth,” Harris said. “I should have found ways to keep players healthier.”
Tigers still believe playoff run is possible
Despite moving two starting pitchers, Harris insisted the Tigers are not giving up on the season.
Harris pointed to recent improvements in the lineup, defense and young pitching, along with several players expected to return from injury.
“We’re not raising the white flag,” Harris said. “This team is talented enough to flip the script like the 2024 team did.”
Harris said internal promotions and returning players could provide the boost Detroit needs over the final two months of the season rather than outside acquisitions.
“We still have plenty of games left,” Harris said. “We can flip the script.”