Tigers' 2.95 ERA starter having better year than Tarik Skubal is 'intriguing' trade chip

Tigers’ 2.95 ERA starter having better year than Tarik Skubal is ‘intriguing’ trade chip originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

For a lot of teams and fans, around baseball, there’s been a lot of interest in the Detroit Tigers. But, not as a contender, but rather about the Tigers selling some of their assets, namely, Tarik Skubal.

Trade rumors surrounding the back-to-back Cy Young winner are some of the most intriguing in all of baseball. But, while Skubal’s trade rumors will be abundant, he might not be the best pitcher available this summer.

As Thomas Harrigan of MLB.com highlighted, Casey Mize, the veteran right-handed starter who’s actually pitching better than Skubal this season, is another “intriguing” trade candidate from the Tigers’ rotation. 

Tigers’ Casey Mize is an ‘intriguing’ trade chip

“Skubal isn’t the only intriguing trade candidate in Detroit’s rotation,” Harrigan writes. “There’s also Mize, who, like Skubal, is a pending free agent.”

The Tigers trading away players this summer isn’t a guarantee. But, if they fall further back than six games in the weak AL Wild Card field, then the Tigers might be selling.

Mize has been pitching better than Skubal this season, with the right-hander posting a 2.95 ERA in 11 starts this season. Skubal has a 3.32 ERA in 10 starts, with both pitchers missing time due to injury.

Mize has been on the injured list twice, while Skubal’s lone IL stint lasted a while due to surgery and the recovery that entailed.

MORE: Tigers‘ projected trade return for Tarik Skubal from Braves would be a top-100 prospect and more

Both starters should be on the move if the Tigers are selling, as the packages they could get in return would help make up for the bad feelings of being sellers at the deadline.

While all of the attention will be on Skubal, Mize shouldn’t be ignored as a very intriguing trade chip this summer for any contender.

He should be cheaper than Skubal, and there might not be as many suitors active in the market for him, with all of the focus on the Cy Young winner.

Mize is having a better 2026 season than Skubal and should not be underrated in the trade market. The 2.95 ERA right-hander is a good trade target for contenders, and as Harrigan notes, is one of the more “intriguing” options on the market this summer.

More MLB news: