Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal watches a play from the dugout.

In the wake of Tarik Skubals rehab start at High-A West Michigan on Sunday, the Detroit Tigers must contemplate what's next for him? Skubal is recovering from surgery to remove a loose body in his left elbow, which turned out to be the best-case scenario for an elbow injury that many thought was going to keep him out in months.

The Tigers need him back.

If they have any hope of catching the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central or claiming an AL wild card berth, they need the two-time Cy Young winner on the bump.

But he's also in a contract year.

The belief is that he could fetch $400 million in free agency.

The Tigers seem unwilling to pay.

If Detroit is out of the race by the All-Star break, the Tigers may have no choice but to trade him.

There's one trade that correlates to what the Tigers are mulling.

And the general manager that made that trade has something to say about how the Tigers are handling the situation.

The Tarik Skubal Mistake? USA Todays Bob Nightingale did a long interview with former Milwaukee Brewers general manager Doug Melvin.

Melvin is an industry veteran who was also GM of the Texas Rangers and is now a Brewers special advisor.

He is also the author of one of the most audacious trades in baseball history.

Three weeks before the 2008 MLB trade deadline he dealt four players, including his top prospect, to Cleveland for CC Sabathia.

At the time, Sabathia was considered baseball's best pitcher, much like Skubal is now.

Sabathia helped the Brewers get to the playoffs and even though he signed with the Yankees in the offseason, it's a move that Melvin doesn't regret.

He sees the same potential in a Skubal deal, but he believes the Tigers are making one big mistake when it comes to his market.

If Im the Tigers," Melvin said, Id think about putting Skubal out there right now." The Sabathia deal came three weeks before the trade deadline.

Sabathia went 11-2 with Milwaukee and was a primary driver of their playoff success that season.

Skubal has had the same impact for the Tigers, as hes helped them reach the playoffs in each of the last two seasons.

Hes 3-2 with a 2.70 ERA in seven starts.

When he returns, the odds are good hell look like himself.

And when he does, the Tigers need to pick up the phone, in Melvins opinion, and start listening..

This article has been shared from the original article on si, here is the link to the original article.