Tarik Skubal says he 'would love to return' to Tigers

Former Detroit ace Tarik Skubal's time with the Tigers may not be over after all.

The two-time American League Cy Young Award winner said he "would love to return" to Detroit in a podcast released on Friday, less than a week after he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"I would love to play my whole career in Detroit. And hopefully those negotiations can pick back up in November once the playoffs are done," the left-hander said in an episode of "Pardon My Take."

"Hopefully (the Tigers) are involved with everything. I would love to return. I've got nothing but good things to say about the city of Detroit."

Skubal, 29, will be one of the most coveted free agents on the market after the 2026 season. Despite the sentiments Skubal expressed in the podcast, the potentially record-setting salary figures he is likely to command may be too rich for the Tigers' blood.

There is a precedent, however. After trading right-hander Jack Flaherty to the Dodgers at the 2024 trade deadline, the Tigers re-signed him in free agency to a two-year, $35 million deal.

Skubal said he broke down in tears when saying goodbye to his teammates in Detroit, where he made his major league debut in 2020.

"I hate crying, I don't cry a lot," he said on the podcast. "When my wife walked down the aisle I didn't cry because I was so nervous, and I'm crying in a clubhouse with a bunch of other grown men saying bye to everybody and giving everybody a hug."

After going 7-5 with a 2.79 ERA in 16 starts this season with the Tigers, Skubal dropped his debut with the Dodgers on Tuesday. He allowed two runs on four hits in six innings in a 5-1 loss to the host Chicago Cubs.

--Field Level Media