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The Detroit Tigers and star pitcher Tarik Skubal were no closer to agreeing on a 2026 contract before Thursday’s 8 p.m. ET deadline, setting up an arbitration hearing.
Skubal, 29, requested a record $32 million in salary arbitration, while the Tigers responded with $19 million. The $13 million difference is a record if the case ends up going to a hearing.
The two sides could reach an agreement at any time before the arbitration hearing, which is scheduled between January 26 and February 13. Players with more than three years of service can use arbitration to negotiate their salaries for the next season, and Skubal has more than five years.
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Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) reacts after allowing a hit against the Minnesota Twins in the fourth inning at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on August 14, 2025. (Jesse Johnson/Image Images)
However, the large gap between the two sides adds to speculation that the Tigers could trade the two-time American League Cy Young winner. The Tigers only have Skubal under control for one more season and could trade him now and receive a massive return rather than let him walk next offseason for nothing in free agency if they opt not to re-sign him.
The $13 million gap between the two sides could now foreshadow what potential contract negotiations between baseball’s best pitcher and the Tigers will look like.
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Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers watches before a game against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio, on September 30, 2025. (Grace Hoppel/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
If Skubal wins the case, he would break the record for an arbitration-eligible pitcher and set the record for the highest-paid arbitration-eligible player. David Price currently holds the pitching record with a $19.75 million deal with the Tigers in 2015.
Juan Soto set the record for the highest-paid arbitration-eligible player in 2024 when he agreed to a one-year, $31 million contract with the New York Yankees.
Last season, the Tigers and Skubal reached a $10.15 million settlement to avoid a hearing.
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Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) watches during the seventh inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland on July 12, 2025. (Daniel Kucin Jr./Imagn Images)
Skubal was dominant for the Tigers last season, going 13-6 with a 2.21 ERA in 31 starts in 195.1 innings pitched. The combination of his high-90s fastball and devastating changeup led the left-hander to rack up 241 strikeouts.
In 2024, when Skubal won his first Cy Young Award, he went 18-4 with a 2.39 ERA in 192 innings pitched with 228 strikeouts.
