SAVE OUR STARS

We propose one idea to help keep smaller-revenue clubs and their superstar players united up until free agency

- J.J. COOPER

The low-revenue Tigers had to at least consider trading ace Tarik Skubal prior to free agency.

The 2026 season will be played under the backdrop of an impending Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiation. The expectation is that MLB owners will once again push strongly for a salary cap. The players' union is expected to forcefully fight against that proposal.

But in every CBA negotiation, there are smaller ideas that can improve the game that both sides can see as beneficial, which makes it easier for both sides to agree to these more modest tweaks.

One of the current issues I consistently hear about from fans of smaller-revenue teams is the concern that their team's stars are going to be traded.

This year, talk centered on the Tigers and whether they should hold onto Tarik Skubal or trade him before he reaches free agency in November. Similarly, some wonder how long Paul Skenes will remain a Pirate, even though he is under team control through 2029.

In no logical world would trading Skubal help the Tigers in 2026, and Detroit had made no indication that it is looking to trade the back-to-back American League Cy Young Award winner. But it remains an open question because of the glaring disparity between what Skubal would garner in a trade and what the Tigers will get if they offer him a qualifying offer after the season and he leaves as a free agent.