Tigers Owner Gives Troubling Answer About Possibility of Extending Tarik Skubal

The Detroit Tigers may not be all that serious about keeping their superstar ace beyond next season.

Aug 8, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) waits on the dugout bench before taking the field to face the Los Angeles Angels at Comerica Park. | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

The Detroit Tigers earned what was their biggest victory in perhaps a decade on Thursday by avenging their American League Central collapse and dispatching the hated rival Cleveland Guardians in a decisive Game 3 Wild Card victory.

For all the fair criticism Detroit received during their historically awful surrendering of the division, ending the season of Cleveland in their own building made it all worth it as they advance to the ALDS.

As has been the case for the last two years, soon-to-be repeat American League Cy Young Tarik Skubal was at the center of it all after his absolutely dominating performance in Game 1 to set the series up properly.

Understandably, much of the discourse throughout Skubal's absurd performance over his last 60 or so starts has revolved around the fact that he's set to hit free agency at the conclusion of the 2026 season and whether or not they can keep him.

Fans hoping and praying that is going to be the case may, however, have just been dealt a dose of reality by team owner Christopher Ilitch.

Tigers Owner Chris Ilitch Deflects Away From Tarik Skubal Contract

Detroit Tigers owner Christopher Ilitch speaks at a press conference at Comerica Park in Detroit after the firing of general manager Al Avila Wednesday, August 10, 2022. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Ilitch was asked directly by Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press on whether or not the team was going to prioritize a Skubal extension and put an emphasis on getting something done. Rather than addressing the question directly, Detroit's owner deflected.

"We're in 2025 right now," Ilitch said, declining to give any sort of positive answer at all when speaking after Thursday's win. "We're just going to focus on the playoffs and really just focus on the game in front of us."

Taking things a step further, Ilitch talked about the organization's commitment to winning both now and in the future, and talked about it while seemingly implying that things could look very different a couple years from now.

"Our goal is to win a World Series," he began. "I love this group. Whether we do it with this group or it's another group, we're going to stay focused on winning a World Series, but this is a huge step for this team...I like this group of guys, and I like the young guys we've got coming."

Ilitch Seems Uncommitted to Keeping Skubal Long Term

Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris and owner Christopher Ilitch and watch the action and talk during spring training on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023, in Lakeland, Florida. | Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA TODAY NETWORK

Reading between the lines of what Ilitch is saying here, it certainly seems like he is prepared to let his superstar ace walk away just over a year from now.

While it would be poor business and negotiation tactics to openly express desperation to sign a star who very well may receive a record deal on the open market, the quotes from Ilitch absolutely read like someone who would be content with replacing Skubal with other young talent in the organization.

If that is indeed what happens, it will be one of the more scrutinized decisions Detroit has ever made, but what Skubal has done over the course of the last two seasons has been nothing short of remarkable.

Skubal Has Been Absurdly Dominant For Tigers Since 2024

Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) celebrate with teammates after 6-3 win over Cleveland Guardians in Game 3 of AL wild-card series at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The big left hander's 7.2 inning, three-hit and one run performance with14 strikeouts in Game 1 to set Detroit up for a chance to end the Guardians season was nothing new for him based on what he has been the last two years.

Making 62 starts since the beginning of 2024, Skubal has a 2.30 ERA, a 0.906 WHIP including a big league best mark of 0.891 this year, a 31-10 record, a 13.0 bWAR in that period and a borderline laughable 469 strikeouts in 387.1 innings pitched.

He's gone beyond the level of ace and established himself beyond any shadow of a doubt as the best pitcher on the entire planet. Letting him walk away without a real push to try to keep him would be the kind of thing this fanbase would consider unforgivable.

It remains to be seen if that's actually the case, however Ilitch's words should not be taken lightly and it certainly seems he is trying to prepare fans for that looming reality next offseason.