Mariners Rumors: Dreams of a Tarik Skubal trade might have just gone up in smoke

We've had plenty of fun recently with the whole Tarik Skubal discourse, after ESPN's Buster Olney casually threw the Mariners into the mix as a contender to trade for him. As much as the M's don't need him per se, SoDo Mojo's Zachary Rymer made the simple but indisputable point that the pitching ace is the best player they can possible acquire this winter.

In reality, it was always going to be a bit of a long-shot for the Mariners (or anyone) to obtain arguably the best pitcher in baseball. And now, it's seemingly all but officially not going to happen after all. At least not at this stage, as per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (subscription required).

Rosenthal's article relates to what he's been hearing at MLB’s general manager meetings about the trade market for starting pitchers. In respect to Skubal, he wrote:

"As one Detroit Tigers person put it, 'We want to win with him.' Well, 2026 figures to be their last chance. Top Scott Boras clients hardly ever sign extensions when they are this close to free agency."

Ken Rosenthal

We can certainly appreciate those who wonder why the Tigers would risk letting Skubal go to free agency and only receive draft pick compensation, when they can instead do (a lot) better by trading him now. However, Rosenthal adds that the pending two-time Cy Young winner has helped revive baseball in Detroit and moving him at this stage would be perceived by many as a step back in the short-term.

Mariners must consider blockbuster trade alternatives to Tarik Skubal

Objectively speaking, it's tough to argue with the Tigers' thinking, with Paul Skenes as the only other pitcher we would put in the conversation for best starter in baseball right now. The contention window is wide open for a team which has made the postseason in each of the past two years, and with every chance the AL will be as wide open again in 2026 as it was this past season.

There is a scenario where the Tigers could conceivably move Skubal at next year's trade deadline if they fall out of contention and still receive a handsome return package, albeit not as strong as if they made a deal during this winter. Although before any Mariners fans get too excited about boosting their rotation for another World Series push, Rosenthal does make the salient point that the odds of failing out of the playoff race in the AL Central are probably slim.

As a whole the AL Central's 387 wins in 2025 were fewest among the American League's three divisions and tied for the fewest of all six Major League divisions with the NL West, which included the 43-win Rockies. Further, while acknowledging plenty can change in the coming months, MLB.com's way-too-early 2026 Power Rankings has three of the AL Central's teams placed in the bottom third of the majors and even the Guardians only at 19. (The Tigers have been ranked 12th.)

Regardless, as things stand the Mariners will likely be better off barking up other trees when it comes to completing a potential blockbuster trade to grab the headlines and bolster the roster. Along these lines, we'll be considering a couple of other options M's fans should be enticed by, in Cincinnati Reds pitcher Hunter Greene and former M's international free agent signing Ketel Marte.

Key to Greene and Marte being two potential alternative options, what helps make them more appealing — at least in some respects — is what it would take to acquire them and for how long. The chances are it would take a similar return package to Skubal, but with both players being more controllable compared to the Mariners only getting one year from the Tigers pitching ace.