There might not be a more interesting team than the Tigers in the context of the Aug. 3 trade deadline.A season that started with playoff expectations has descended into a miserable mess. Although the team is holding out hope it can make a run, the Tigers lost three out of four to the Astros in their most recent series. A 10-game homestand that started with a sweep of the White Sox ended with a 5-5 record. The Tigers are now 14 games under .500. At the conclusion of Sunday’s game, they were 6 1/2 games out of a playoff spot.“We know our backs are against the wall,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “We’re about to enter July in a much different position than we’d like to be in, and we’re going to fight our way out of it.”The clock is ticking, and unless the Tigers can get hot soon, Tarik Skubal figures to be the biggest prize of the deadline. But the Tigers also have a host of other likely trade candidates. Casey Mize, Jack Flaherty, Gleyber Torres, an injured Justin Verlander and even catcher Jake Rogers are free agents after the season. Bullpen pieces such as Kenley Jansen, Kyle Finnegan, Will Vest and Drew Anderson are always in demand.
If the Tigers can’t turn around their season, a fire sale could be on the horizon.Record: 35-49Record this time last season: 52-32Standing: Fourth in AL CentralPlayoff odds: 15.4 percent (FanGraphs), 4.7 percent (Baseball Reference)If the season ended today: Eliminated from playoff contentionBiggest series between now and the deadline: Every game matters. The Tigers are about to play three against the Yankees in New York. If they get swept, they could be cemented as sellers for good.Current needs: The Tigers could use a deeper bullpen. They could use more impactful right-handed hitting. They would benefit from at least one or two more everyday position players. Perhaps the best way to obtain some of those needs will be selling their high-end pitching, plus Torres, and trying again next year. The Tigers are likely to prioritize prospects who are close to the big leagues.History says: The Tigers have been sellers at eight of the past nine trade deadlines. In 2025, the lone time they were buyers, the Tigers chose not to go after big fish but made a flurry of smaller deals. Most of them — Chris Paddack, Charlie Morton, Paul Sewald and more — turned out to be awful moves. This year is a different scenario. Expect the Tigers to be realistic with themselves, even if it hurts. It’s an immense deadline for president of baseball operations Scott Harris.What will determine what they do: If the Tigers can get hot between now and Aug. 3, they could make a case to keep Skubal and even add to their club. They still have to play the schedule, so sweeping conclusions are always dangerous. But time is running out. The market for Skubal should be robust.What should they do: The real question is what happens if the Tigers can pull within a handful of games of a playoff spot. Might they keep this team together and try to make a run? It would be a bold play, but the weak American League keeps that door cracked open. Right now, though, it looks as if this team will have no choice but to sell and reshape for the future.Jun 29, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms
