The Detroit Tigers believe left-hander Tarik Skubal is worth $19.8 million this year, but that’s not what they offered him in arbitration.
The Tigers ultimately filed at $19 million and Skubal filed at $32 million before the deadline on Thursday, Jan. 8, to exchange salary figures for an arbitration hearing.
Advertisement
Here’s the catch: The Tigers previously offered Skubal $19.8 million for the 2026 season in negotiations leading up to the deadline, according to multiple people with knowledge of the situation who could not speak publicly.
The two sides were never close to avoiding arbitration.
BUCKLE UP: Tarik Skubal, Tigers can’t agree on 2026 salary. Here’s what happens
Skubal – the first back-to-back American League Cy Young winner since right-hander Pedro MartÃnez in 1999-2000 – is represented by agent Scott Boras, while the Tigers are led by president of baseball operations Scott Harris.
In 2025, Skubal earned $10.15 million.
Advertisement
The declined $19.8 million offer from the Tigers for 2026 would’ve allowed Skubal to set two arbitration records – becoming the highest-paid arbitration-eligible pitcher, surpassing left-hander David Price‘s $19.75 million salary in 2015, and securing the largest raise for an arbitration-eligible pitcher, surpassing right-hander Jacob deGrom‘s $9.6 million increase in 2019.
Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal with Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell before the Lions game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025.
By offering $19.8 million, the Tigers believe Skubal is worth just $50,000 more in 2026 than Price was in 2015, but Skubal and Boras believe he’s worth significantly more than that.
Adjusted for inflation, Price’s $19.75 million salary in 2015 would be worth approximately $27 million in 2026 – well above the Tigers’ valuation of Skubal in his third and final year of arbitration.
Advertisement
Simple inflation appears to be just one of many reasons why Skubal didn’t accept the $19.8 million offer from the Tigers before Thursday’s deadline.
[ MUST LISTEN: Make “Days of Roar” your go-to Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ]
After failed negotiations, the Tigers and Skubal filed $13 million apart at Thursday’s arbitration deadline, setting the stage for a February showdown that will set a precedent for how superstar pitchers like Skubal (and eventually right-hander Paul Skenes) are treated in arbitration.
It’s the largest gap since salary arbitration came to baseball in February 1974.
Advertisement
If Skubal wins, he will earn $32 million from the Tigers in 2026 and become the highest-paid arbitration-eligible player in MLB history, surpassing outfielder Juan Soto‘s $31 million salary in 2024.
DIDN’T EVEN TRY: Tigers weren’t in Alex Bregman talks before five-year, $175 million contract with Cubs
The panel of three arbitrators must determine at the February hearing whether Skubal is worth more or less than the $25.5 million midpoint. If he’s worth more, they will select his $32 million proposal; if less, they will select the Tigers’ $19 million proposal.
The panel isn’t allowed to choose a salary in between $19 million and $32 million.
Advertisement
In this case, Skubal is risking $800,000 (the difference between the Tigers’ $19.8 million offer and the Tigers’ $19 million filing) for the chance to make an additional $12.2 million (the difference between the Tigers’ $19.8 million offer and Skubal’s $32 million filing).
Skubal is a two-time All-Star in his six-year MLB career and led the AL with a 2.39 ERA in 2024 and a 2.21 ERA in 2025.
He enters free agency in November 2026.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
Listen to our weekly Tigers show “Days of Roar” every Monday afternoon during the season and Tuesday afternoon during the offseason on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers offer to Tarik Skubal before 2026 arbitration filing