Tigers Historic Arbitration Hearing with Tarik Skubal Has Date Finally Set
In this story:
The Detroit Tigers and their superstar ace Tarik Skubal are each soon going to know their financial fate after a turbulent roller coaster of an offseason between the two sides.
As first reported Monday morning by Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic, the historic and potentially precedent-setting arbitration hearing between Skubal and the Tigers is going to take place this week on Wednesday, February 4.
If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.
During the hearing, a three-person panel is going to hear arguments both from Skubal's camp as well as the Detroit organization as to which salary number the repeat American League Cy Young winner should be paid; the team's filed number at $19 million or Skubal's at $32 million.
The $13 million gap is by far the largest in arbitration history, and unless the two sides agree on a number before the hearing, there is no middle ground and the panel selects one or the other. Consensus seemingly has varied on who has the upper hand headed into the battle.
Tigers May Have Better Chance Than Some Think to Win Hearing
With the way Skubal has performed over the past two seasons and the accolades he has received, many have seen this as a slam-dunk victory for Scott Boras and that Skubal will set the record for the highest arbitration salary ever.
A pitcher has never cleared $20 million in arbitration however, and this is a very different process than free agency and how a player is valued there. While Skubal is obviously doing historic things, from Detroit's perspective they are still filing at a huge number for an arbitration case.
Skubal winning and surpassing Juan Soto's $31 million from 2024 would have the potential to set a completely new precedent during a time when the league already appears headed for a serious labor dispute after the 2026 season.
Outcome of Hearing Could Have Other Impact on Tigers
Detroit has been linked over and over to some of the top remaining free agent pitchers, however that has also come with the caveat of them having an extra $13 million to spend by winning the hearing against Skubal.
Given who is still out there in terms of rotation depth, that extra cash on a short-term deal could come in major handy, although it's all the more frustrating for fans if the pursuit of more help is dependent on successfully lowballing Skubal.
With just one more year of team control and the southpaw hitting free agency after the 2026 season, the Tigers' frugal nature is coming back to bite them not only with Skubal himself, but also their chances of surrounding him with a team capable of winning while he is still here in the Motor City.
Either way, it's going to be an absolutely fascinating outcome no matter whether Skubal wins or loses.
Recommended Articles
Michael Brauner is a 2022 graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in Sports Media. He covers various MLB teams across the On SI network and you can also find his work on Yellowhammer News covering the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers as well as on the radio producing and co-hosting 'The Opening Kickoff' every weekday morning on 105.5 WNSP FM in Mobile, Alabama.