If they so chose, the Red Sox could probably position themselves as one of the favorites to trade for Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal.

Skubal will be eligible for free agency after the 2026 season, and while the Tigers haven’t given any indication they’re shopping Skubal this winter, executives across the game believe they’re inclined to, at minimum, listen to offers.

There’s no precedent in recent years for the Tigers to spend the kind of money it would require to extend Skubal. The last nine-figure commitment by the team came more than a decade ago when the Tigers eight-year, $248 million extension for Miguel Cabrera.

But that contract came when the franchise was desperate for a title before beloved owner Mike Ilitch passed. Ilitch died in 2017, and his sons have not shown the same

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