Tarik Skubal 'would love to return' to Tigers

Former Detroit ace Tarik Skubal said he would love to return to the Tigers after he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Skubal played for the Detroit Tigers for seven seasons, improving each year after going 8-12 with a 4.34 ERA in his first full campaign with the Tigers in 2021.

Tarik, the two-time American League Cy Young Award winner, on Friday in a podcast said he "would love to return" to Detroit.

"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 sought-after free agents on the market after the 2026 campaign. Despite the sentiments Skubal shared in the podcast, his potentially record-breaking contract demands could be too much for the Tigers.

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

Skubal said he was very emotional when saying goodbye to his teammates in Detroit, where he was handed 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 with the Tigers this season, Skubal made his debut for the Dodgers on Tuesday. He allowed two runs on four hits in six innings in a 5-1 loss to the host Chicago Cubs.