ESPN’s Tigers update proves Detroit is losing the Skubal game.

ESPN's Tigers-Tarik Skubal update just reinforces this is a losing game for Detroit.

According to ESPN analyst Kiley McDaniel, the Tigers are one of seven teams expected to be in the Tarik Skubal sweepstakes this offseason.

The other six are the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Angels, San Diego Padres, and Chicago White Sox.

McDaniel's report contains one detail that should worry Tigers fans more than any other.

Detroit is waiting for a discount.

McDaniel said the Tigers are in the mix but are holding out for a reduced price on the reigning Cy Young winner.

The problem? That discount is never coming.

Skubal is expected to command a contract in the neighborhood of $350 million on a long-term deal.

This is not a new strategy for the Tigers.

They tried to get a discounted price on Skubal last offseason, when he was still under team control in Detroit.

That attempt failed, and Skubal was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the 2024 trade deadline.

Since then, his market value has only increased.

Skubal won the American League Cy Young Award in 2024 with a 2.39 ERA and 228 strikeouts over 192 innings.

He followed that up with a strong 2025 season split between Detroit and Los Angeles.

Now, as a free agent, he is widely considered the best pitcher available in a class that The Athletic described as light on star power beyond him.

Former MLB general manager and current analyst Jim Duquette recently weighed in on Skubal's free agency.

"When you start to narrow it down, I feel like it's the Padres, the Mets, the Dodgers, and maybe there's one another team. Maybe it's the Giants possibly," Duquette said on the Foul Territory show.

He specifically noted that the Cubs, another team linked to Skubal, have a history of not spending top dollar on pitchers.

"When I hear the Cubs, the most that they've spent on a contract was Jayson Heyward and Dansby Swanson. They're not spending that kind of money on a starting pitcher," Duquette said.

The same logic could apply to the Tigers.

Detroit has not shown a willingness under owner Chris Ilitch to spend aggressively on top free agents.

The Tigers did not get a contract extension done with Skubal last offseason, which is why he was dealt at the deadline.

Now, with multiple big-market teams circling, the chances of Detroit outbidding everyone are close to zero.

The Dodgers and Mets are considered the front-runners by McDaniel.

Los Angeles has shown no hesitation to spend massive money under owner Mark Walter.

The Mets, under owner Steve Cohen, have the deepest pockets in baseball.

The Yankees, Angels, and Padres all have histories of making big splashes in free agency.

Even the White Sox, who are rebuilding, are reportedly poking around.

For the Tigers, the math is simple.

Waiting for a discount on a $350 million pitcher is a losing strategy.

Motor City Bengals, the site that first reported on McDaniel's analysis, put it bluntly: "That's pretty comical considering they tried to get a discounted price when Skubal was still in Detroit last offseason and his price has only increased since then."

The site added: "Waiting for a discount from a pitcher who's expecting somewhere in the ballpark of $350 million on a long-term contract is just not going to happen. This is a losing game."

The silver lining for Tigers fans is that Detroit can now allocate its resources elsewhere.

The team needs veteran bats and additional rotation help.

There are better ways to spend millions than on an ace who showed he didn't want to be in Detroit.