Tigers porous bullpen may have sealed Tarik Skubal's MLB trade deadline fate originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal exited Wednesday's start with a 7-1 advantage. Many of the34,406 fans at Commerica Park stood for an impromptu seventh-inning stretch, hailing the back-to-back AL Cy Young award winner in what could have been his final start for the franchise that drafted him in the ninth round in 2018.Skubal, who surpassed the 1,000-career strikeout milestone in the first inning Wednesday, remains one of the most highly anticipated players on the MLB trade deadline market. The Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago Cubs are only a few of the teams eager to add the pending free agent left-hander.But, after rebounding from a 6-22 May, the Tigers remain in the AL Wild Card chase, despite the bullpen's season-long struggles.With the Tigers (51-58) idle Thursday, president of baseball operations Scott Harris has four-plus days to decide what to do with Skubal.Wednesday's 10-9, 12-inning loss didn't help. With the two-time All-Star on the bench, four relievers allowed at least one run.The Tigers have dropped 18 games when leading during the seventh inning or later.Has the relief corps sealed Skubal's trade deadline fate?Tarik Skubal, Tigers need better reliefWhen Skubal departed Wednesday, Kyle Finnegan entered, and the momentum changed.The former closer faced three batters, yielding a 12-pitch walk that loaded the bases and back-to-back two-run singles, pulling the Baltimore Orioles to within 7-5.In the eighth inning, reliever Drew Anderson allowed Coby Mayo's two-run triple, forcing extra innings.In the 11th,Jacob Waguespack allowed a run after a leadoff walk and was relieved by Drew Sommers. The left-hander immediately surrendered an RBI single to Jackson Holliday, capping a nine-run surge. Eight of those runs came off relief pitchers.MORE:Tigers trade deadline candidate Tarik Skubal records 1,000th career strikeoutSommers (0-2) yielded the winning run in the 12th inning on Colton Cowser's two-out, RBI single, turningSkubal's milestone celebration sour. Cowser entered the game batting .205 with three previous hits in July.Entering Friday's series against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park, the Tigers' bullpen earned a No. 29 ranking, according toInsidethepen.com. In the last 17 innings pitched by relievers, they posted a 5.82 ERA.In need of bullpen reinforcements, the Tigers continue to hold one of the league's top trade chips.MLB insiders remain split on what Smith should do before Monday, as the offers continue to mount.Did the team's season-long bullpen struggles secure Skubal's trade deadline fate?More MLB news:Blue Jays' Shane Bieber loses control with franchise-worst six first-inning walksBold prediction: Giants GM Tony Vitello finds MLB trade deadline success, unloads high-priced veteransWith light second-half MLB schedule, Tigers out to ace Tarik Skubal decisionIs Orioles' cornerstone Adley Rutschman on MLB trade block?Angels' Mike Trout comes home, returns to MLB All-Star Game