Detroit Tigers Ace Starting Pitcher Keeping Extension Talks With Team Close To Vest
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Detroit Tigers ace starting pitcher Tarik Skubal had an incredible 2024 season.
He had previously shown signs of dominance, making 15 starts and throwing 80 effective innings in 2023, registering a 2.80 ERA with 102 strikeouts. His struggles with staying healthy were the only concerns, but this past year, he put all of that behind him.
Skubal made 31 starts and threw 192 innings, as he cemented his status as arguably the best starting pitcher in baseball. He led the league in several statistics en route to winning the Cy Young Award in the American League.
His 6.3 WAR, 18 victories and 228 strikeouts all led the MLB. His .818 winning percentage, 2.39 ERA, 170 ERA+ and 2.49 FIP were all tops in the AL.
That level of performance led to Skubal and the team agreeing to a one-year, $10.15 million deal for the 2025 season to avoid arbitration this offseason. It was his second year of being arbitration-eligible, as he could hit free agency after the 2026 campaign.
Based on how well he has performed, and how difficult it is to find aces, it would not be a surprise if the Tigers try to lock him into a long-term deal sooner rather than later.
However, if there have been any contract talks, Skubal isn’t going to be giving away any details as he isn’t giving away any details right now and plans to keep them close to vest.
"I'll keep that pretty private," Skubal told The Associated Press via ESPN on Sunday. "But I love playing in Detroit and I'm excited to get down to spring training."
The unprecedented run that the team went on down the stretch in 2024 was anchored by Skubal, the only starting pitcher that manager A.J. Hinch turned to at points. When he wasn’t scheduled to take the mound, the team would eat up innings with bullpen games or openers with bulk pitchers behind them.
There have been some huge contracts handed out to starting pitchers this offseason, setting a new baseline for the Tigers and their ace to work with in the future.
Blake Snell and the Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to a five-year, $182 million deal. Max Fried signed an eight-year, $218 million deal with the New York Yankees, the largest for a lefty in baseball history.
Corbin Burnes signed a six-year, $210 million deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks this offseason as well.
Skubal will be 30 years old when he hits free agency if he doesn’t agree to an extension before then, as he should be the next pitcher to land a $200+ million deal.
Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.