Tigers, Tarik Skubal Enter Arbitration With $13M Salary Gap

The Detroit Tigers and their ace lefty, Tarik Skubal, are barreling toward one of the biggest salary arbitration battles MLB has seen in years. There’s a huge $13 million gap between what each side wants, and the outcome might shake up how teams value top pitchers in arbitration.

Skubal and Tigers Headed for a High-Stakes Arbitration Showdown

They missed the settlement deadline, so both sides filed their numbers for the upcoming season. Skubal wants $32 million; Detroit countered with $19 million. Unless they patch things up last-minute, it’s going to a hearing.

Arbitration rules force the panel to pick one side’s number, no compromise. That by itself makes this tense, but there’s more riding on it than just Skubal’s salary.

A Potential Arbitration Record for Pitchers

If Skubal wins, he’ll blow past the old arbitration record for pitchers and set a new overall high. Juan Soto currently holds the record with his $31 million settlement, the biggest arbitration payday in league history.

Historically, hitters have always done better in arbitration than pitchers. No pitcher has broken the $20 million barrier in arbitration. David Price’s $19.75 million back in 2015 still stands as the top mark for pitchers.

Why Skubal’s Case Is Different

Skubal’s camp, with the Boras Corporation leading the charge, plans to use a key clause from the collective bargaining agreement. Players just a year from free agency can use free-agent contracts as comparisons, not just older arbitration cases.

That opens up a new kind of argument that could really change how teams value ace pitchers in arbitration.

Free-Agent Comparables Change the Math

Short-term free-agent pitchers at Skubal’s level often land deals around $30–40 million a year. Normally, arbitration sticks to old arbitration awards, but Skubal’s reps will argue that his numbers and value look a lot more like those big free-agent deals than the usual arbitration comps.

If the arbitrator buys that, it could totally change what frontline starters can expect to make before they hit free agency.

The Tigers’ Position and Financial Logic

Detroit’s $19 million offer sticks close to precedent. Even at that number, Skubal would get an $8.85 million raise from his $10.15 million salary in 2025. That’s a big jump by most standards.

The Tigers want to avoid setting a new financial standard that could mess with future negotiations for the rest of their roster.

File-and-Trial Adds Another Layer of Tension

By going “file-and-trial,” Detroit’s basically saying they’re ready to let this go all the way to a hearing. Sure, they could settle, but usually this means talks have pretty much frozen.

Ripple Effects for Detroit and the League

The outcome here reaches way beyond Skubal’s bank account. If he wins, it could reset the bar for pitchers in arbitration and give elite arms a lot more leverage across baseball.

It’s also making Detroit’s short-term planning a whole lot trickier.

Trade Value and Payroll Considerations

If Skubal gets $32 million, his trade value could drop. Teams usually want a lower salary when they’re shopping for talent.

But if he lands at $19 million, he’d look way more appealing to potential buyers. That kind of number keeps payrolls flexible, which most front offices love.

Maybe both sides can settle somewhere in the mid-$20 million range. Still, if this thing goes to a hearing, people around the league will be watching—it could turn into one of the most talked-about arbitration cases in recent MLB memory.

 
Here is the source article for this story: Tigers, Tarik Skubal Have $13MM Gap In Arbitration