While all eyes are currently on the World Series, the offseason is looming right behind it. With that comes the knowledge that the Tigers are going to have to make some tough decisions if they plan to be really competitive next season. While the team has made the postseason for two years in a row, they seem to have done it despite the lack of moves from the front office, not because of help that has been delivered when needed.
Will the Tigers add talent to their roster this offseason? Will Tarik Skubal be extended, or will the Tigers opt to spend money elsewhere and trade Skubal when his value is at its peak? These questions and more will be answered in the coming months, but the hot stove and rumor mill are already starting to get warm.
The Tigers commenced negotiations on an extension with Skubal — who is entering his walk season — but were somewhat surprised to find they were about a quarter of a billion dollars off with their latest offer. Skubal and Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates are considered the two best pitchers in the sport. To sign either one of them to a long-term deal, their current teams must expect to commit dollars far beyond the Gerritt Cole contract of nine years and $324 million and Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s 11-year, $324 million pact.