Tigers, Tarik Skubal fail to reach deal, face record $13M salary gap as trade rumors swirl

The Detroit Tigers and prima pitcher Tarik Skubal did not travel adjacent to an statement connected a 2026 declaration anterior to the 8 p.m. ET deadline connected Thursday, mounting up an arbitration hearing.

Skubal, 29, sought a grounds $32 cardinal successful wage arbitration portion the Tigers countered with $19 million. The $13 cardinal quality is simply a grounds if the lawsuit ends up going to a hearing.

The 2 sides could settee astatine immoderate clip anterior to the arbitration hearing, which is scheduled betwixt Jan. 26 and Feb. 13.  Players with much than 3 years of work clip tin usage arbitration to negociate their salaries for the upcoming season, and Skubal has much than 5 years.

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Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) reacts aft giving up a deed against the Minnesota Twins successful the 4th inning astatine Target Field successful Minneapolis, Minnesota, connected Aug. 14, 2025. (Jesse Johnson/Imagn Images)

However, the ample spread betwixt the 2 sides adds to speculation that the Tigers mightiness commercialized the two-time reigning American League Cy Young winner. The Tigers lone person Skubal nether power for 1 much play and could commercialized him present and person a monolithic instrumentality alternatively of letting him locomotion adjacent offseason for thing successful escaped bureau if they opt not to re-sign him.

The $13 cardinal spread betwixt the 2 sides present could foreshadow what imaginable declaration negotiations look similar betwixt the champion pitcher successful shot and the Tigers.

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Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers looks connected anterior to a crippled against the Cleveland Guardians astatine Progressive Field successful Cleveland, Ohio, connected Sept. 30, 2025. (Grace Hoppel/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

If Skubal wins the case, helium would shatter the grounds for an arbitration-eligible pitcher and acceptable the grounds for the highest paid arbitration-eligible player. David Price presently holds the grounds for pitchers with a $19.75 cardinal statement with the Tigers successful 2015.

Juan Soto acceptable the grounds for the highest paid arbitration-eligible subordinate successful 2024 erstwhile helium agreed to a one-year, $31 cardinal woody with the New York Yankees.

Last season, the Tigers and Skubal settled connected a $10.15 cardinal declaration to debar a hearing.

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Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) looks connected during the seventh inning against the Baltimore Orioles astatine Oriole Park astatine Camden Yards successful Baltimore, Maryland, connected July 12, 2025. (Daniel Kucin Jr./Imagn Images)

Skubal was ascendant for the Tigers past season, going 13-6 with a 2.21 ERA successful 31 starts successful 195.1 innings pitched. The operation of his upper-90s fastball and devastating changeup led to the southpaw racking up 241 strikeouts.

In 2024, erstwhile Skubal won his archetypal Cy Young Award, helium went 18-4 with a 2.39 ERA successful 192 innings pitched with 228 strikeouts.

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