The Detroit Tigers can't avoid the Tarik Skubal decision any longer.

He is one year away from free agency.

Skubal — a soon-to-be 29-year-old left-hander on the verge of becoming the first back-to-back American League Cy Young winner of the 21st century — is set to be a free agent after the 2026 season , leaving the Tigers with three options: extend him, trade him or try to win with him .

The Tigers, led by president of baseball operations Scott Harris , need to make their Skubal decision within the next five months — during the 2025-26 offseason.

There's no easy answer. Expert MLB daily picks: Unique MLB betting insights only at USA TODAY

But there is one simple thing to know: The Tigers must commit to doing something .

If they're going to trade Skubal, then they need to

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