Tigers Owner Gives Cryptic Answer on Tarik Skubal Extension in Rare Interview
In this story:
The Detroit Tigers went into the offseason with a major elephant in the room with regards to ace pitcher Tarik Skubal and his contract situation.
With Skubal a year away from free agency and extension talks going nowhere to this point, the endless stream of trade rumors all winter became downright insufferable. As it turned out, Detroit never really came all that close to dealing Skubal away and now sit in the best spot they have been to win in a long time.
Still, it will be tough to ignore the reality throughout the year that Skubal is likely playing his final season with the Tigers and this may be their best chance to win a championship. Perhaps a real offer could still be made to keep him however, as unlikely as it may seem.
Detroit owner Chris Ilitch participated in a rare interview with Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic and others from the Dominican Republic on Tuesday, and while he did not commit to anything, he certainly made it sounds like the team decision makers will have the resources to do what they want.
Tigers' Skubal Decision Up To Scott Harris, Ilitch Says
"I would say Scott Harris is always looking to make smart baseball decisions," Ilitch said when asked whether the team will be in a position to make Skubal a strong offer. "Whether it's acquiring players or investing in infrastructure. I hope it's clear I want to support our team to make sure we are a championship-caliber organization. So let's let Scott evaluate and decide what he'd like to do, but I think I'm going to do everything I can to continue to support our team and make sure we're a championship-type club. So let's see how it all plays out."
Ilitch certainly seems to be passing to buck to Harris here so that in the likely event Detroit is outbid for Skubal he can say it was not ultimately his decision, however his pretty much non-answer does not inspire a ton of confidence either.
Obviously, he did not shut the door and even said Harris will have the resources to make whatever decision he wants, however Skubal's contract is going to set records and Ilitch would have to shell out way more than he ever has.
Do Tigers Actually Have Chance at Keeping Skubal?
Assuming Skubal stays healthy and has another tremendous season with potentially even a push for a historic third consecutive Cy Young award, his contract is likely to creep into the $400 million range or at least push towards it.
He is the best pitcher on the planet and will be hitting the open market at the best time in the history of the game to be a free agent, and teams will be lining up to pay him. Ignoring this reality is foolish, however this offseason has inspired some hope that Detroit is willing to spend.
With a deal for Framber Valdez that was the largest of the Scott Harris era, the Tigers showed they will do what it takes, however Skubal is new territory. It does seem more possible than it did a year ago to keep the southpaw in the Motor City, but it will still be extremely difficult.
According to Ilitch though, the resources to make it happen will be there.
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.