Skubal hits 1,000 Ks right as Tigers' grip on him slips

Tarik Skubal picked one hell of a day to hit a career milestone. Facing the Orioles on July 29, the Tigers ace struck out the leadoff hitter for his 1,000th career K, and Comerica Park gave him the kind of ovation usually reserved for a guy on his way out the door — which, as it turns out, he might actually be.

Barstool Baseball

@StoolBaseball

1000 Ks All in a Tigers uni for Tarik Skubal

The number itself is absurd. Skubal got to 1,000 strikeouts in 857 innings, blowing past Max Scherzer's franchise record of 944 2/3 innings to reach the same mark. He's a two-time AL Cy Young winner and heading into free agency after the World Series, which is exactly why every contender in baseball has been circling Detroit ahead of the August 3 deadline.

Barstool Baseball

@StoolBaseball

A standing ovation for Tarik Skubal in what could be his final game as a Tiger

That's the vibe Barstool's Eric Hubbs picked up on immediately. Hours after the milestone, and after Baltimore erased a 7-run deficit to tie the game late, Hubbs stopped hedging and just said what everyone was already thinking.

Eric Hubbs

@BarstoolHubbs

It Looks All But Certain That Tarik Skubal Is Going To Get Traded, And Of Course The Dodgers Are Right There Ready To Swoop In t.co/SE9spsKlsY

The Dodgers being the favorites tracks. Los Angeles has questions about Shohei Ohtani's availability as a pitcher, a farm system deep enough to build a real package, and a track record of not blinking on star-level acquisitions. The Brewers, Rays, Yankees, Cubs, Braves and Phillies are reportedly all in the mix too, but the industry consensus has been leaning Dodgers for a while now.

Naturally, the internet turned it into a bit. Hubbs followed up with a joke about the Yankees supposedly floating outfield prospect Spencer Jones as trade bait — and shot it down for comedic effect before anyone could take it seriously.

Eric Hubbs

@BarstoolHubbs

Oh now you want Spencer Jones for Tarik Skubal? Well that offer expired two hours ago

Whether the Tigers actually pull the trigger is still the real question. Detroit has the fourth-best record in baseball since June and could just as easily decide to run it back with Skubal for one more playoff push instead of selling off their ace mid-race. But between the milestone, the ovation and a bullpen letting a 7-0 lead evaporate, it sure felt like Detroit was staging its own goodbye — whether the front office is ready to admit it or not.