Tigers ace Tarik Skubal wins record-breaking $32M in arbitration: reports

Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal made MLB past connected Thursday, arsenic helium reportedly won his arbitration lawsuit that volition wage him $32 cardinal this play implicit his team’s projected $19 cardinal salary.

Skubal, who won his 2nd consecutive American League Cy Young Award successful 2025, had a three-person wage arbitration sheet regularisation successful his favor, ESPN reported..

Skubal’s triumph marks a caller wage grounds awarded to a subordinate successful the arbitration strategy by $1 million. The New York Yankees avoided arbitration with Juan Soto successful January 2024, awarding him a $31 cardinal woody for that year.

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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)

Skubal had a unsocial presumption heading into arbitration with five-plus years of work time, portion besides being capable to usage the "special accomplishment" clause, which factors successful winning Cy Young Awards. It allowed Skubal to not conscionable comparison his projected wage to those that person faced arbitration, but the remainder of the league.

As a result, Skubal could constituent to pitchers similar Zack Wheeler ($42 million), Jacob deGrom ($38 million), and Gerrit Cole ($36 million) heading into 2026.

TIGERS, TARIK SKUBAL FAIL TO REACH DEAL, FACE RECORD $13M SALARY GAP AS TRADE RUMORS SWIRL

The Tigers’ erstwhile precocious was $19.75 cardinal paid retired to David Price, different talented left-handed starter for the organization, to debar a proceeding successful 2015. This went each the mode down to the panel’s decisions, but ultimately, Skubal remains a Tigers' pitcher heading into 2026.

Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal high-fives teammates successful the dugout aft a pitching alteration during the seventh inning astatine Comerica Park successful Detroit connected Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

As for his future, Skubal is acceptable for escaped bureau astatine the extremity of the 2026 season, though tons tin hap betwixt then. This arbitration triumph doesn’t solidify that helium volition walk the full play successful Detroit, particularly considering the commercialized rumors that person swirled astir the organization.

The Tigers did, however, bolster their chances astatine repeating arsenic AL Central champions, acquiring seasoned left-handed starter Framer Valdez via escaped agency. They inked a three-year, $115 cardinal woody with Valdez connected Wednesday — hours earlier the panel’s determination connected Skubal.

Now, Detroit heads into the play arsenic 1 of the champion one-two punches successful a starting rotation successful MLB.

Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) pitches successful the archetypal inning against the Chicago White Sox astatine Comerica Park successful Detroit, Michigan, connected Sept. 6, 2025. (Rick Osentoski/Imagn Images)

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After a fantastic 2024 run that ended with immoderate much-deserved hardware, Skubal followed it up with an AL-leading 2.21 ERA implicit 195.1 innings successful 31 starts. He besides struck retired 241 batters, 13 much than his league-leading people the twelvemonth prior.

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