Every time Tarik Skubal takes the mound, the backdrop is the same: Is this his final season with the Tigers?
The best pitcher in baseball has a massive payday awaiting him in free agency next winter, barring an extension with Detroit before he hits the open market. It puts the Tigers in a dicey situation if they don't believe they can retain Skubal beyond this season. They aren't in the business of trading their best players -- nor are they in the business of letting them walk for nothing.
The way Scott Harris sees it, it's pretty simple. Asked Tuesday on MLB Network about the Tigers' approach with Skubal in his contract season, Harris replied, "The approach is to win."
"This organization is all about winning and Tarik is a big part of our ability to win here. Having him go every five days really sets the tone for our team. And if we want to climb the whole mountain, if we want to win the World Series, I think it’s really important that he’s performing at a really high level, and he is. He’s also setting a really powerful example for all the other pitchers on our staff."
"So we’re focused on the here and now, we’re focused on winning this year, and we feel like we have a great chance to win every time he’s on the bump," Harris said.
Skubal is off to another strong start as he seeks his third straight Cy Young award, something just two pitchers have done in MLB history: Randy Johnson and Greg Maddux (both of whom won four straight in that National League). He's 3-2 with a 2.72 ERA through six starts, with 38 strikeouts to six walks in 36 1/3 innings.
His next start comes Wednesday night in Atlanta against the NL East-leading Braves, who have scored the most runs in the majors.
