The Detroit Tigers and back-to-back AL CY Young Tarik Skubal are likely headed to a third-party arbitration hearing after the two sides were reportedly not close to a one-year agreement.
January 8th marks the arbitration deadline across Major League Baseball for teams and certain players to agree on a one-year contract for the 2026 season. For select players (Tarik Skubal, in this case) who do not reach a deal with their current organization, the contract dispute will be sent to a panel of third-party arbitrators, who will settle the contract claim at a later date.
With the details of what both sides proposed, the arbitration hearing for Tarik Skubal will be the biggest in MLB’s recent history.
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How Far Off Were the Tigers & Tarik Skubal?
ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports that Tarik Skubal is seeking a $32 million salary for the 2026 season, but the Detroit Tigers filed in at $19 million, which leaves a $13 million discrepancy, one of the largest in modern history.
While teams can still negotiate until the official trial, which will likely be in a few weeks or in early February, either side will rarely budge leading up to the arbitration hearing. Arbitrators do not find a “middle ground” in contract disputes, so either Skubal will end up gaining the $32 million salary, or he will be stuck with the $19 million that the Tigers deemed to be the right price.
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Tarik Skubal is a 2X CY Young winner and arguably the best starting pitcher in MLB.
He won the pitching Triple Crown in 2024 by leading the American League in wins, ERA, and strikeouts. Skubal followed up that stellar campaign with another highly successful season.
Over 31 starts and 195 innings in 2025, Skubal posted a 2.21 ERA and struck out 241 batters. He’s led the AL in pitcher WAR in both 2024 and 2025.
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Why Didn’t the Tigers File a Higher Arbitration Price?
One could have assumed that Tarik Skubal was going to come in at a very high asking price as an arbitration-eligible player, which makes total sense considering he’s won the pitcher “MVP” award in consecutive seasons.
What’s bizarre about this scenario is that the Tigers filed for such a low price. $19 million is a solid salary for about 97% of MLB players, but Skubal’s value is worth far more than that.
According to Spotrac, Skubal’s market value indicates he’s worth up to $37 million/year, according to AAV.
Another interesting facet of this bizarre contract hearing is what will happen with Skubal’s future with the Tigers. If Detroit values him at $19 million/year, there is no fathomable way they will be able to retain him in free agency when he hits the open market in 2027.
Although there have been many baseless rumors that he might get traded, do the Tigers consider it now that they are so far off from his contract demands?
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Tigers, Tarik Skubal Reportedly $13 Million Off Arbitration Salary