Tigers Have Key Players Ready for Arbitration, What Could They All Cost?
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The offseason for MLB feels just as busy for management as during the regular months and maybe even more hectic for organizations like the Detroit Tigers who have looming questions to answer with both free agency and arbitration.
Arbitration in simple terms is the time for players who are still under the team's control to negotiate their salary for the upcoming season, but with that team and that team only.
Now, the Tigers have their hands full with Gleyber Torres, Kyle Finnegan and Jack Flaherty all in free agency. Then there is the visible issue surrounding Tarik Skubal and what his future with the organization holds and even though he is with the Tigers until 2026 they could look to trade him during arbitration if the higher ups don't want to pay what it will cost to keep him.
Potential 2026 Payouts
So, Skubal joins a whole slew of vital players that will be trying to hammer out the details for their payout in 2026 including a pair who just won their first Silver Slugger Awards, outfielder Riley Greene and utility man Zach McKinstry. Now, MLB trade rumors had a model that they have used to estimate what their projected arbitration will look like and it could end up being quite costly.
*Note* The total projected cost is $61.65M and Skubal's potential salary is 28.9%.
- SP Tarik Skubal $17.8M
- LF Riley Greene $6.6M
- SP Casey Mize $5.4M
- 1B Spencer Torkelson $5.1M
- 3B Zach McKinstry $3.5M
- RF Kerry Carpenter $3.5M
- RP Will Vest $3.3M
- RP Jason Foley $3.15M
- RF Matt Vierling $3.1M
- C Jake Rogers $2.9M
- 2B Andy Ibanez $1.8M
- RP Tyler Holton $1.7M
- RP Tanner Rainey $1.6M
- RP Beau Brieske $1.3M
- RP Alex Lange $900k
Skubal doesn't need any explanation as to why he is looking at such a big deal for 2026. He is likely to have one of the highest contracts that a starting pitcher has seen in MLB history when free agency comes around as he could very well win another Cy Young Award to complement his first in 2024.
When looking at the hitting leaders for the Tigers it is Carpenter, Torkelson, and Torres plastered across the top with Greene. The Tigers need to address another big bat in the offseason, but it won't mean releasing any of these guys.
Then over on the pitching staff Mize actually outperformed Flaherty in a big way in the starting rotation. He finished the year with more wins than Skubal, complemented by a 3.87 ERA compared to Flaherty's 4.64.
Holton and Vest were the pair of relief pitchers used the most in the playoffs trailing only Finnegan in games, but Vest pitched more innings. After eight full innings on the mound Vest held opponents scoreless after allowing only two hits and striking out nine.
There are some essential players that will be up for contract upgrades after their performances during the regular season and the Tigers will be extremely busy from now until spring.
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Maddy Dickens resides in Loveland, Colorado. She grew up with two older brothers, where their lives revolved around sports. She earned a master's degree in business management from Tarleton State University while simultaneously playing basketball and competing in rodeo at the collegiate level. She successfully parlayed a reserve national championship into a professional rodeo career and now stays involved in upper-level athletics by writing for On SI on several different MLB teams' pages, along with some NCAA sites.