Tarik Skubal and the Detroit Tigers have headed to a monumental arbitration battle with a major gap in negotiations.
As the Detroit Tigers and star lefty pitcher Tarik Skubal failed to reach a contract before Thursday’s deadline, the club and two-time reigning American League Cy Young Winner headed to a pivotal arbitration showdown. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Skubal submitted his request for $32 million, while the Tigers countered with $19 million. That $14 million gap is reportedly the largest in baseball history. If the two aren’t able to work out an extension, Detroit will look to take their case to a hearing as it’s unlikely with Skubal set for free agency after this season.
If Skubal wins the hearing, it would be the largest one-year deal in arbitration history, breaking the $31 million mark set by Juan Soto in 2024 with the New York Yankees. But the largest deal for an arbitration-eligible pitcher is $19.75 million awarded to David Price by the Tigers in 2015. Skubal’s case could be monumental for elite pitchers in today’s era of baseball and could reset the market.
Here is the full story from Tigers Roundtable Rogelio Castillo on the significant moment for both the franchise and the MLB as a whole.
Skubal made around $10 million in 2025 and has plenty of leverage with back-to-back Cy Young seasons. He pitched a 2.21 ERA with 241 strikeouts in 195.1 innings pitched last season with a career 3.08 ERA in six years in the league.