Tigers Lose Arbitration Case Against Tarik Skubal, Ace Set to Make $32 Million
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The Detroit Tigers finally have an answer as to the salary their ace is going to be playing on this season following what has been a very turbulent offseason between the two sides.
As first reported by Jeff Passan of ESPN and others, Detroit has lost its arbitration case against Tarik Skubal, meaning the ace is going to make $32 million this season rather than the $19 million the organization filed at.
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The gap between the two filing numbers was the largest in the history of the arbitration process, and Skubal now breaks the record for largest awarded salary by any player in arbitration. Though many expected this to be the outcome, it's a massive victory for Skubal and Scott Boras, and could alter the very way the process plays out for stars moving forward.
Beyond that though, the team is obviously impacted drastically in the short-term.
Tigers Now Have $70 Million Committed to Top of Rotation in 2026
On the same day of the hearing on Wednesday, Detroit shocked the baseball world by signing former Houston Astros ace Framber Valdez to a three-year deal worth $115 million, giving Valdez $38 million a year -- double what they filed for Skubal at.
It was revealed shortly after though that the Tigers did not know the result of the hearing when the deal was signed and the decision was made independent of the Skubal decision. This conflicted previous reporting that Detroit's pursuit of further pitching help was dependent on having the $13 million freed up if they won against Skubal.
Now, in the final year of Skubal being controlled by the team, the top two arms in the rotation are going to make a combined $70 million assuming the Tigers do not trade the repeat American League Cy Young.
Reporting prior to the decision coming down indicated zero intention from Detroit however of dealing Skubal.
Tigers Now At Least Have Financial Clarity
Don't count on any more big-time free agent additions, but now Detroit knows what they are working with from a payroll standpoint, a number which will be well over $200 million and the largest in franchise history on Opening Day.
Skubal may very well be playing his last season in the Motor City, but he is doing it on a salary he has earned every bit of and more. Now, the focus becomes how this team can do some special things this year and take advantage of the Skubal window.
With the long and tedious arbitration process now behind him, Skubal's soul focus is going to be on being the best version of himself, which is a scary thing for the rest of baseball.
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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.