Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal believes there's a clear solution to silencing trade rumors involving him.
"With all the trade stuff, we just got to start winning games," Skubal said, according to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. "Last year, there was not one word about me being traded. Winning calms all that stuff down, and that's what this team needs to do."
Skubal's comments follow a recent report suggesting a growing belief around baseball that the Tigers will trade the two-time Cy Young winner before the Aug. 3 deadline.
Detroit entered Tuesday tied for the worst record in baseball after posting a 6-22 record in May without Skubal, who's sidelined with an elbow injury. The 29-year-old could return by mid-June following NanoNeedle surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow.
Skubal said he remains hopeful the Tigers can get back into contention and quiet the trade talk before he returns to the mound.
"We've been counted out before," Skubal said, referencing Detroit's run to the 2024 postseason. "Rightfully so, we were counted out, and rightfully so, we're counted out right now. It's the back-against-the-wall type of thing. We'll see who we really are and how we fight. I've seen it before, and that gives me a ton of confidence in this group."
Skubal is set to become a free agent at the end of the season and could be in line for the most lucrative contract ever for a pitcher.
