Scott Harris Reveals Exact Moment When Tigers Decided to Sell
· Yahoo Sports
The Detroit Tigers did not enter the final week before the trade deadline determined to dismantle their rotation.
According to Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris, the final decision came after Detroit’s series against the Baltimore Orioles, capped by a crushing 10-9 loss on July 29.
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That game also became Tarik Skubal’s final start in a Tigers uniform.
Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris just spoke with the media for nearly 40 minutes. A lot to share, but one interesting nugget to start:
— Evan Woodbery (@evanwoodbery) August 4, 2026
When did Tigers formally decide to sell? Harris was very specific: After the series with the Orioles.
The finale on July 29…
Tigers’ Season Forced Harris’ Hand
Harris said Detroit’s first 120 games shaped the direction the front office took at the deadline, which ended with Skubal going to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Casey Mize being traded to the San Diego Padres.
“I hate selling,” Harris said via Brad Galli of The Brad Galli Show. “I thought it would be irresponsible not do it.”
Harris said the organization had to evaluate whether the current roster had done enough to justify adding players for a postseason push.
“I don’t think that we played well enough, I don’t think that I did enough to… (add). The answer was no.”
That assessment led Detroit to prioritize future value, even while the Tigers remained within striking distance of the final American League Wild Card spot.
Harris Wanted Impact Talent Back
Trading Skubal was the most difficult decision of the deadline.
“He is an impact player in every sense of the description,” Harris said.
That meant the Tigers wanted impact talent in return, and Harris said he feels “very confident” they achieved that goal.
Detroit received Zyhir Hope, River Ryan and Brady Smith from Los Angeles. The Tigers later acquired Kash Mayfield and Jackson Wolf from San Diego in the Mize trade.
Balancing the Present and Future
Harris described the deadline as one of the most challenging decision points of his tenure.
“I try to run this organization with one eye firmly planted on the present, and one eye fixed on the future,” Harris said. “This deadline was a very difficult decision point.”
The Tigers still believe their younger players can keep the season alive, but the front office concluded that holding Skubal and Mize would not have been the best long-term move.
Scott Harris said the first 120 days of the Tigers season led to what the Tigers did at the trade deadline, dealing away Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize.
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) August 3, 2026
"I hate selling," he said. "I thought it would be irresponsible not do it."
He felt it was "in the best interest of the… pic.twitter.com/UUB8iqx7nF
Bottom Line
The Tigers’ decision to sell became final after the Orioles series and the July 29 loss that ended Skubal’s Detroit career.
Harris did not enjoy making the call. He believed refusing to act would have been irresponsible.
Detroit’s season is not officially over, but its future became the priority when the front office decided the current roster had not earned deadline reinforcements.
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