Jake Rogers shares insight on Tigers AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal
Evan and Mark talk to Tigers catcher Jake Rogers, who shares insight into catching for Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal. Full “Days of Roar” pod out now.
Jake Rogers is returning to the Detroit Tigers.
The Tigers and Rogers avoided arbitration Friday, Nov. 21, by signing a $3.05 million contract for the 2026 season. The 30-year-old transitioned from starting catcher to backup in 2025.
Rogers was set to enter his third (and final) round of salary arbitration, becoming a free agent after the 2026 campaign. Players between three and six years of MLB service time are eligible for arbitration in the offseason.
Rogers earned $2.64 million in 2025, meaning will receive a $410,000 raise in 2026.
The Tigers have reaffirmed their plan to pair Rogers and Dillon Dingler as their catching tandem in 2026, with Dingler as the starter and Rogers as the backup.
The third-string catcher is expected to be Tomás Nido, a nine-year MLB veteran who re-signed with the Tigers on a minor league contract. He will stay ready in Triple-A Toledo in case of an injury.
Beyond Rogers and Dingler, the 40-man roster includes two other catchers: Thayron Liranzo and Eduardo Valencia. Both prospects were recently added to protect them from being selected by other teams in the Rule 5 draft.
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In 2025, Rogers opened the season as the starting catcher, but a left oblique injury in early April sidelined him for six weeks. Dingler took over and never looked back, emerging as the starter and pushing Rogers into a backup role.
Rogers hit .187 with three home runs, 15 walks and 39 strikeouts in 46 games at the plate. He recorded zero defensive runs saved over 339 innings behind the plate.
The Tigers acquired Rogers from the Houston Astros (with right-hander Franklin Pérez and outfielder Daz Cameron) in the August 2017 Justin Verlander trade. Of that package, only Rogers remains in the Tigers’ organization.
Rogers is a .200 hitter across his five-year MLB career, spanning 328 games. He was an American League Gold Glove Award finalist in 2024, losing out to Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh.
The Tigers avoided arbitration with two other arbitration-eligible players on pre-tender deals: outfielder Matt Vierling for $3.255 million and right-handed reliever Beau Brieske for $1.1575 million.
The other eight arbitration-eligible players with tendered contracts have until Jan. 8 to negotiate salaries with the Tigers, just like Vierling, Rogers and Brieske already did. If the two sides can’t agree, an arbitration hearing will be scheduled.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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