[Passan] Two-time AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal filed for a $32 million salary this year while the Detroit Tigers countered at $19 million, sources tell ESPN. The $13 million spread is by far the largest in salary-arbitration history and sets up for a fascinating hearing in February.

34 comments

  1. Not even submitting at $20 million for a B2B Cy-Young winner certainly feels like a choice by the Tigers going into this hearing.

  2. The Tigers can’t be serious with that offer, how do you lowball a back to back Cy Young winner

  4. I would walk next year based off of that alone if I were him. Not that they will come anywhere close to re-signing him anyway.

  6. An interesting ripple effect from this will be how this case impacts Skenes eventual arbitration. His salary is going to explode in Arb if Skubal wins

  11. Oh….. That’s a terrible omen for Detroit fans hoping they can get a contract extension. That’s just straight up disrespectful

  12. Isn’t the Tigers owner super rich? If his Daddy was still around Skubal would be already locked up.

  17. He needs to do what Tim Lincecum did when the Giants took him to arbitration.

    “According to Frandsen, Lincecum “Walked into the courtroom with both Cy Young Awards, they never even started talking — it was signed, sealed and delivered right there. I think it was a two-year deal, right there.”
    Two years, $23 million to be exact.

    Lincecum, who was fresh off back-to-back Cy Young Awards, was asking San Francisco for a then-record $13 million deal for a first-time arbitration eligible pitcher. The Giants countered with $8 million. That large a difference almost always requires a judge’s decision. But when Lincecum pulled the double Cy Young card, the Giants instantly surmised they’d be on the wrong side of that ruling.

    A compromise that tilted in Lincecum’s favor was quickly reached. Lincecum signed for the $8 million San Francisco offered in year one, but also added a second season worth the $13 million he sought plus a $2 million signing bonus.”

  23. This is really interesting just because of how arbitration works. If they go to arbitration the winner gets their number (no compromise). And the arbitrator basically decides who is closer to what the number should be and that side wins. So if the arbitrator decides he’s worth $24m, the Tigers win and he makes $19m. If the arbitrator decides he’s worth $26m, Skubal wins and he makes $32m.

    So super interesting that it’s such a wide spread. One side is closer to the mark and will get a windfall from this.

  24. People dissing the Tigers for this do not have a good understanding of how arbitration process works.

    If this goes to hearing, there is ~1% chance that Skubal would win.

    Skubal and the Tigers agreed to $10.15M for 2025 *after* his 2024 Cy Young season.

    Arbitration salaries do not triple when a player has similar seasons back to back.

    For reference, MLBTR estimated $17.8M and Spotrac estimated $22.5M.

    This is almost negligent on Boras’s part who might have won filing for say ~$25M, but definitely not at $32M.

  25. Skubal chose the nuclear option here. God, I hope he wins. It would be good for young players league-wide.

  28. What’s fucking insane is if Detroit wanted to, they could set up for an AL dynasty run. They have the pitching. They have the basic framework of a functional line up. And most importantly they have the most top heavy farm system in baseball.

    Just fuckin pay skubby and break out of your dumb 125-130m max payroll bullshit. What id give to be a billionaire who owns the tigers right now. I’d rule the universe.

  29. So many people in this thread don’t know how arbitration works. Arbitration salaries are not nearly as high as what a player would get in free agency. The Tigers might be low, but $32 mil is crazy high

  30. You ever had a really shitty few days, the news and current events make it worse, then you go on Reddit to see sports news and see something like THIS? 

    Fuckin’ A. 

  32. This tells me the Tigers have a 0.0% interest in extending him. He’s gone. No way you fuck with your ace like this unless they aren’t worried about pissing him off.

  33. Not that I don’t think he deserves it, but that’s a crazy amount for an arb player. The owners and MLB are gonna be fighting this

Leave a Reply