Detroit Tigers’ president of baseball operations, Scott Harris, has dismissed the notion that the team’s championship aspirations are confined to a narrow “Tarik Skubal window,” arguing that such a concept is an illusion.
“I’m not looking at this as a window,” Harris stated after the July 31 trade deadline. “It’s my job to get to the postseason every single year if I can.”
His comments came after a deadline in which the Tigers acquired five MLB pitchers but avoided a major splash to bolster their immediate World Series odds. Harris’s philosophy centers on building a sustainably competitive team rather than capitalizing on the current dominance of his ace pitcher.
Skubal, the reigning American League Cy Young winner, is set to become a free agent after the 2026 season, and the Tigers are not expected to sign him to a long-term extension.
“Tarik Skubal is certainly leading the way, but there are a lot of really talented players, both in the big leagues right now and that are coming through this really talented system,” Harris said. “This whole idea of a window is not really filtering into my head.”
Now in his sixth MLB season, the 28-year-old is having a remarkable year. He leads the AL with a 2.09 ERA and has posted career-best marks with a 33.8% strikeout rate and a 3.8% walk rate, fanning 171 batters across 133⅔ innings. His performance has him on track to become the first AL pitcher since Pedro Martínez (1999-2000) to win consecutive Cy Young awards and potentially the first pitcher in MLB history to command a $400 million contract in free agency.
The Tigers’ own success demonstrates both Skubal’s impact and the team’s depth. Since August 11, 2024, Detroit holds the best record in baseball at 95-59 (.617). While they are an exceptional 21-8 (.724) in Skubal’s starts, they have also compiled an impressive 74-51 (.592) record in all other games.
“There are a lot of players on this team who are in it for the right reasons, who are playing for each other and for the city of Detroit,” Harris noted. “From All-Star break to All-Star break, we have the most wins in Major League Baseball.”
Looking ahead, the Tigers’ potential long-term plan could involve former top prospect Jackson Jobe eventually succeeding Skubal as the staff ace in 2027. However, Jobe, 23, is currently recovering from Tommy John surgery.
For now, Harris remains focused on the present without sacrificing the future. “We have a nine-game lead in the AL Central right now, and we just got a whole lot better today,” he said. “We’re going to keep winning as many games as we can and try to make good decisions to make sure that the city of Detroit can enjoy playoff baseball for as many years as possible.”
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