Tarik Skubal is one of the best pitchers in the game. Following his recent trade from the Detroit Tigers to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Skubal went from a fourth-place team to the World Series favorite.
Dealing for Skubal doesn’t guarantee another title for L.A., but it sure helps their chances.
My question isn’t whether Skubal will win a World Series title in La-La Land; it’s where he will suit up in 2027.
Will the Dodgers sign him? Maybe New York or Atlanta? Perhaps another contender jumps into what could be one of the most fascinating free-agent pitching battles in recent memory.
Well, following an interview on Aug. 7, it certainly sounds like Detroit isn’t out of the picture.
In fact, Skubal didn’t exactly leave the door cracked with his possible reunion with the Tigers – he flung it wide-open!
Skubal Makes His Feelings About Detroit Very Clear
Following his first few days with the Dodgers, Skubal was asked about the possibility of eventually returning to Detroit — and his answer should have Tigers fans paying very close attention.
Skubal didn’t simply say he’d consider a return.
He said he would love to spend his entire career in Detroit, adding that he hopes contract negotiations with the Tigers can resume in November once the 2026 postseason is complete.
He also said he hopes Detroit remains involved in the process and made it very clear that returning to the Tigers is something he genuinely wants.
“I would love to play my whole career in Detroit. I would love to,” Skubal said on Pardon My Take. “And hopefully those negotiations can pick back up in November once the playoffs are done. We’ll see where that goes. Hopefully they’re involved with everything. I would love to return.”
That’s a pretty remarkable statement from a player who had just been traded away.
And there’s an important distinction here.
Skubal isn’t saying he wants out of Los Angeles.
Quite the opposite.
MLB reported that while the trade from Detroit was emotional — particularly because of the relationships he built with his teammates — Skubal also said he is “definitely excited to be here” in Los Angeles.
So both things can be true.
He can be excited to pitch for the Dodgers right now while still hoping that Detroit could eventually become his long-term home.
And THAT is what makes the 2027 free-agent picture so fascinating.
Don’t Count Out Detroit
Here’s my take.
Detroit just went from “former team” to a legitimate storyline for Skubal’s next contract.
Does his interview guarantee he’ll return? – Absolutely not.
Does it mean the Tigers will be able to afford him? Nope.
But when one of baseball’s best pitchers publicly says he’d love to spend his entire career with your organization, you can’t simply ignore it.
Especially when that player is about to become a free agent.
And there’s another important piece to this story.
Skubal isn’t some ordinary starting pitcher heading into free agency.
He’s a two-time reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, and the Tigers spent months weighing whether trading their ace was the right move before ultimately dealing him to Los Angeles at the trade deadline.
That’s the type of player Detroit isn’t going to replace easily.
From Detroit’s Ace to a Dodgers Superteam
Let’s not forget how quickly this situation changed.
For years, Skubal was the centerpiece of the Tigers’ pitching staff.
Then came the trade deadline.
The Dodgers acquired Skubal from Detroit in a deal that sent prospects Zyhir Hope, River Ryan and Brady Smith to the Tigers. Skubal is now under contract with Los Angeles through the remainder of the 2026 season before becoming eligible for free agency.
And now?
Skubal gets to pitch for a Dodgers club built to win immediately.
That’s a pretty good consolation prize.
But the trade was clearly emotional for Skubal.
His final start in a Detroit uniform came just days before the trade, and he recorded his 1,000th career strikeout in what turned out to be his final appearance for the Tigers.
Then came the goodbyes.
Skubal acknowledged how difficult it was to leave teammates who had become close friends.
That’s understandable.
He wasn’t simply leaving a baseball team.
He was leaving the organization that drafted him, developed him and helped turn him into one of the best pitchers in baseball.
Yet after all of that emotion, Skubal also made something else clear:
He’s ready for Los Angeles.
So What Do the 2027 Odds Say?
Now we get to the fun part.
The question isn’t whether Skubal can help the Dodgers. We already know he can.
The question is whether Los Angeles can convince him to stay once he reaches free agency.
And that’s where the 2027 Tarik Skubal next-team market becomes fascinating.
The Dodgers obviously have a massive advantage.
They already have Skubal in their clubhouse.
They have the financial resources to make a significant offer.
They have a championship-caliber roster.
And, perhaps most importantly, they can spend the next several months showing Skubal exactly what life in Los Angeles could look like.
But Detroit has something Los Angeles can’t manufacture.
History.
And now we know Skubal still has an emotional connection to the Tigers.
The Dodgers Are Still the Team to Beat
Let’s pump the brakes on the Detroit reunion for a minute.
The Dodgers didn’t trade for Skubal just to rent him for a few months without at least exploring the possibility of keeping him.
If Skubal dominates down the stretch and helps Los Angeles make another deep postseason run, the Dodgers could have a very compelling case to keep him.
Imagine the free-agent pitch.
Los Angeles:
“Stay here. Keep chasing championships.”
Detroit:
“Come home. Finish what you started.”
That’s one heck of a free-agent decision.
And if Skubal happens to win a World Series with the Dodgers?
Well…
That could make things even more interesting.
Why Detroit Can’t Be Ignored
For the Tigers, this isn’t simply about nostalgia.
If Detroit believes it can compete for championships over the next several seasons, bringing Skubal back would immediately give the organization an established ace at the top of the rotation.
And now the Tigers have something they didn’t have before the trade.
A pretty clear indication that Skubal would actually like to return.
That’s valuable information.
The Tigers still have to determine whether they can meet the financial demands of a pitcher of Skubal’s caliber.
They also have to decide what their roster looks like after 2026.
But if the money works?
Why wouldn’t Detroit at least make the call?
SOD 2027 NEXT TEAM WATCH
Here’s how I see the landscape right now:
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
The logical favorite.
They already have Skubal, they have the money, and they’re giving him an opportunity to compete for a championship immediately.
2. Detroit Tigers
Skubal’s comments on Aug. 7 changed the conversation. Detroit isn’t just the team where Skubal began his career. It’s apparently a place he’d like to finish it.
3. New York Yankees
If one of baseball’s premier left-handed pitchers hits free agency, don’t expect the Yankees to sit quietly.
4. Atlanta Braves
Another organization with the type of competitive infrastructure that could make sense for a pitcher like Skubal.
SOD ODDS WATCH
2027 Next Team: Los Angeles remains the logical team to watch, simply because the Dodgers already control Skubal’s services for the remainder of 2026.
But Detroit?
Detroit just became interesting.
Not because Skubal promised to return.
He didn’t.
But because he publicly said he would love to play his entire career in Detroit and hopes the Tigers are involved when negotiations resume.
That’s enough to make the Tigers a team worth monitoring as the 2026 season unfolds.
SOD BOTTOM LINE
Here’s the fascinating part of this entire story:
The Tigers traded Tarik Skubal – yet just five days later, he’s telling the baseball world that he’d love to spend his entire career in Detroit. If you’re a Tigers fan, you shouldn’t start planning the parade for Skubal’s return just yet.
But after hearing him make his feelings about Detroit so clear, you’d be crazynot to at least dream about it.
Because if November rolls around and the Tigers come calling…
