There is no denying that Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal is one of the two best pitchers in all of baseball.
That does mean, though, that it’ll be a bit pricey to lock down Skubal and keep him in Detroit for the long haul. The earliest of reports have signaled that the sides are alarmingly far apart on an extension.
MLB writer Jon Heyman reported Thursday that the gap between Detroit and Skubal for a potential number is “close to $250 million.” To put that into perspective, a $250 million contract would be the 19th largest in MLB next season. If no extension is reached, Skubal is set to be a free agent after next season.
Most are aware of Skubal’s dominance on the mound, and that said dominance is the reason that he is in line to win consecutive American League Cy Young Awards. Skubal pitched to a 2.21 ERA with 13 wins and 241 strikeouts across 31 starts and 195 1/3 innings pitched. His 6.6 WAR was the best among any player in the AL this season.
The large gap between the sides is certainly worrisome for Tigers fans who want to see one of the most dominant arms in recent memory stay with their beloved team. While there is still technically over a year until next year’s free agency begins, it would be ideal for the two sides to at least begin narrowing the gap a bit before next season starts.
If a deal is not reached before Skubal hits free agency, it would be nearly a guarantee that he would begin the 2027 season with a team besides Detroit for the first time in his career.
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