Why WBC Likely Won’t Impact Tigers Ace Tarik Skubal’s Future Free Agency

Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal made a surprising commitment to the WBC given his contract status for 2026. But it likely won’t hurt his value.

Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal during spring training on Friday, Feb. 17, 2023, in Lakeland, Florida. | Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The chatter this offseason has been the potential for the Detroit Tigers to trade ace Tarik Skubal. The organization has tamped down those rumors.

But there is still the matter of his final season of team control with the Tigers in 2026. After two straight playoff seasons, the Tigers are trying to position themselves to get past the AL Division Series after two straight postseason exits.

Skubal also must think about his future. Assuming he and the Tigers don’t agree to a contract extension, he’ll hit free agency after the 2026 season as unquestionably the highest-ranked free-agent pitcher and perhaps the No. 1 free agent overall. Represented by agent Scott Boras, it’s possible Skubal could be the first pitcher to sign a $400 million contract.

But that goes out the window if Skubal is seriously injured sometime in 2026. That’s why his commitment to the World Baseball Classic in a contract year is a bit of a risk. The announcement means that Skubal and the Tigers agree that his participation is unlikely to have an impact on his 2026 season. Based on the WBC workload in 2023, that assumption is likely correct.

How Team USA Could Use Tarik Skubal

Team USA adds the back-to-back AL Cy Young Award winner to its rotation 😯

Tarik Skubal is IN for the #WorldBaseballClassic! pic.twitter.com/ALh64aqH74

— MLB (@MLB) December 18, 2025

Mark DeRosa was the manager for the Team USA in the WBC. He is also the manager for 2026, so looking at how he used his pitchers three years ago is informative, especially the starters.

Only two Team USA starting pitchers started two games in the 12-day event, as the team played seven games and reached the championship game against Team Japan.

Lance Lynn and Adam Wainwright were the workhorses, but they didn’t work that hard in the sense of a typical Major League game. Lynn went 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in nine innings of work. Wainright pitched eight innings in two starts and won both of his outings, finishing with a 2.25 ERA.

Based on that, it’s unlikely Skubal would start more than two games in the tournament. With him committed, he will likely be paired with Pittsburgh Pirates star Paul Skenes as a 1-2 punch. Each will likely start a pool play game, as Team USA plays four games in a five-game period in Houston. This isn’t the World Series, so there won’t be temptation to use either on short rest.

That puts Skubal on a path to pitch in an elimination game once the WBC moves out of the pool play phase. Same for Skenes.

It’s a rotation that should allow Skubal to continue his build-up for the regular season and preserve his health for not only a potential 2026 playoff run but also a life-changing opportunity in free agency that could be epic from a financial standpoint, whether it’s with the Tigers or another team.