Tarik Skubal is the biggest potential trade candidate in MLB, but what other Detroit Tigers trade candidates does the team have? The team has a few players who are only under contract through the end of the season, plus a couple of players who aren’t performing and who may also be moved on to make room for younger players. Scott Harris and the Tigers surely won’t be ready to pull the trigger just yet, but these are the players they should be considering as we approach the trade deadline.
MLB Trade Deadline: Detroit Tigers Trade Candidates
Pitchers
Tarik Skubal
Skubal won a record $32 million in arbitration during the off-season, and that may be the minimum AAV that he ends up taking home this winter as he hits free agency. The eye-watering money that Skubal is going to cost will surely make the Tigers irrelevant in his search for a big contract.
Unless this team can cut the deficit between themselves and the Wild Card, if not the AL Central division crown, this trade seems more likely by the day. If the team were in contention, there is no way Skubal would be among the Tigers’ trade candidates. If they aren’t able to put it together, look for the Tigers to ask for a return who could help the team in 2027.
Casey Mize and Jack Flaherty
Due to all the other high-profile names in the Detroit rotation, Casey Mize has flown under the radar. He will also enter free agency for the first time this off-season and is enjoying a career year, posting a 2.58 ERA and striking out 52 in 52.1 IP. Mize has also struggled with injuries both this season and in the past. He sat out the 2023 season after Tommy John and a back surgery.
Despite the injury history, Mize is only 29 years old and won’t be nearly as costly in free agency as a player like Skubal. Although Detroit will probably want to keep Mize for the long term, they may choose to trade him if the return is right. Much like with Skubal, Detroit would need at least one piece they could use in the near future in return for Mize.
Both Skubal and Mize have had good seasons in 2026, despite the team struggling overall. However, Jack Flaherty has been a big disappointment after he somewhat surprisingly triggered a $20 million player option to stay in Detroit for 2026. It was expected that he would decline the option and try his hand at free agency, either to get a larger AAV or to secure a long-term contract.
We have seen why he made that choice now, as Flaherty looks like a shadow of his 2024 and 2025 self. He’s pitched to a miserable 1-8 record with a 5.34 ERA and likely won’t get the same level of return as in 2024 when the Los Angeles Dodgers gave up Trey Sweeney to secure Flaherty. If the Tigers can unload Flaherty, it won’t be for much.
Kenley Jansen
Finally, for the pitching staff, Kenley Jansen is nearing the end of his career but has a lengthy track record of being effective in high-leverage situations. He also had a terrific 2025 season with the Los Angeles Angels, where he secured 29 saves and put up 2.2 WAR.
However, Jansen’s 2026 is off to a nightmare first half. Jansen has made nine saves for Detroit but blown four opportunities, so he should also be one of the Tigers’ trade candidates. A bit like Flaherty, the return for Jansen would be modest due to his relative ineffectiveness. However, there will surely be teams looking for bullpen help at the deadline, and at least one would offer up something to take a punt on the active saves leader.
Kenley shuts the door on save 485 🔥
Save energy at home with these tips: https://t.co/sm4zCCupj6 pic.twitter.com/ompSDZC53M
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) June 20, 2026
Position Players
Gleyber Torres
Another of the Tigers’ trade candidates is Gleyber Torres. He returned to Detroit on a second consecutive one-year contract to prove he’s worth a long-term pact with either the Tigers or another team. Much like 2025, the results have been mixed. Torres continues to be a good contact hitter and fantastic plate battler, but his defensive range is limited and he’s struggled with injuries these last two years.
A sports hernia really affected him down the stretch in 2025, and he’s now hit the IL twice in 2026 with oblique issues. Still, he has a lot of valuable veteran experience and could help out at the bottom of the order for a playoff-bound team. Moving Torres would also open up more reps for the likes of Hao-Yu Lee, Colt Keith, and perhaps even Max Anderson. Gleyber Torres wouldn’t yield a fantastic return, but perhaps he’d be a useful role player the team could use in the near-term future.
Jahmai Jones, and others
Finally, it may be time to call it quits with Jahmai Jones. He’s served as a specialist right handed bat to come in and match-up against lefties late on in games. It is a role he excelled at last season, but has been unable to do so this season. He’s slumped to a miserable .138 average, hitting just two home runs all season, and is also 0/16 against right-handed pitching this season.
Jones is also fairly limited in the field as he can play a below-replacement level right field or second base. With Matt Vierling already on the team, and youngsters like Anderson and Max Clark waiting in the wings, there isn’t much reason to continue to give Jones chances. This one may be a DFA, but if Detroit can find a partner, Jahmai Jones is another of the Tigers trade candidates.
Main Image Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images
