Scott Harris: No “Untouchables” On Tigers Roster

Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris shared mostly generalities when speaking with the media on the first day of the Winter Meetings, reiterating that his club continues to look for starting and relief pitching, and wants “to try to find a way to improve our offense without blocking” some star position-player prospects in the minor league pipeline (i.e. Kevin McGonigle, Max Clark).

When asked about the persistent trade rumors surrounding Tarik Skubal, Harris unsurprisingly didn’t shed any light on whether or not the Tigers might leaning towards keeping or dealing the star left-hander.  What the executive did cover was his broad stance on trade discussions, and why he hasn’t outright stated that Skubal isn’t going anywhere before the pitcher is eligible for free agency next winter.

“I’ve been pretty clear since I’ve been here, I don’t believe in untouchables at any level,” Harris told The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen and other reporters.  “So anyone in our organization, at any level.  It’s not a commentary on Tarik specifically.  Sort of a blanket team-building approach.  I think I can’t do my job without listening.  I can’t do my job without exploring anything that may or may not have legs.  Some are maybe very likely moves, and some are going to be extremely unlikely.  But you can’t actually fully vet those opportunities unless you are willing to listen.  So that’s how we’re doing it.”

It’s a logical position for a PBO to take, since you never know when a team might emerge with an outlandish trade offer that is too good to pass up.  Reports indicate that Skubal is unlikely to be dealt, both because the Tigers’ “asking prices are enormous” (as per ESPN’s Buster Olney) and because keeping Skubal atop the rotation obviously gives Detroit a much better chance of winning the World Series in 2026.

How the Tigers will build around Skubal in what might be his final year with the club remains to be seen.  Detroit has been linked to such prominent free agent or trade targets as Alex Bregman, Ranger Suarez, Michael King, Zac Gallen, Kenley Jansen, Pete Fairbanks, and Ketel Marte, though the team’s most significant new acquisition over the first month of the offseason is Drew Anderson’s one-year contract.  Jack Flaherty and Kenta Maeda are the only free agents to sign multi-year contracts over Harris’ three-plus years in change of the front office, with the two pitchers each signing for two years apiece.  (In Flaherty’s case, he picked up a player option for that second year rather than test free agency again.)

While the Tigers have made some bigger pursuits like their bid for Bregman last offseason, Motown fans won’t be satisfied about the team’s direction or its willingness to spend big until the Tigers actually land a major target.  As The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal opined in a recent column, Harris’ cautious approach to trades or free agents doesn’t lend itself fully capitalizing on what might be a limited window of opportunity with Skubal on the roster.  There’s still plenty of time this winter or at the trade deadline for Detroit to add more top-tier talent, though it remains to be seen how aggressive the Tigers will be in these pursuits.