Phot provided by Matt Lynch
The Detroit Tigers and ace Tarik Skubal went to arbitration to settle the biggest disparity in salary filings in the sport’s history.
The Tigers proposed that Skubal make $19 million in 2026 whereas the two-time American League Cy Young winner filed at a whopping $32 million, a difference of $13 million or nearly what Bryan Reynolds will be making for the Pittsburgh Pirates this season.
It was revealed on Thursday that Skubal won his arbitration hearing. His $32 million salary through arbitration not only shatters David Price’s previous record for a pitcher ($19.75 million) but is the top mark for any player regardless of position, eclipsing Juan Soto’s $31 million with the New York Yankees in 2024.
One party that was probably a little discouraged to see Skubal triumph in his hearing is the Pirates, who will be starting the arbitration process with ace Paul Skenes next offseason.
Skenes will be arbitration-eligible for the first time next winter and will see a substantial raise. Fortunately for the Pirates, Skenes will not make anywhere near what Skubal is making in his final year of arbitration.
Being a first-year arbitration player is drastically different than a third-year player. For reference, Skubal made $2.65 million in 2024 in his first year of arbitration, which will certainly be topped by Skenes but goes to show you how the process works.
When Skenes becomes a second-year eligible player is when things will start to get dicey for the Pirates. Skubal made an affordable $10.15 million in 2025 before going on to win the first of his back-to-back Cy Young awards. Again, Skenes will in all likelihood top that mark for 2028, but given his talent, it will be a price the Pirates should be willing to pay.
Skenes will be eligible for arbitration for the third and final time leading into the 2029 season, and it’s here that his tenure in Pittsburgh could very well come to an end. Skubal’s $32 million will serve as a benchmark for what Skenes will command. Skenes’ final ask could be slightly higher, given that he has the talent to reshape the market and set precedent as Skubal did yesterday.
After the 2029 season, Skenes will enter free agency where any of the 29 other teams can bid on the generational pitcher. So the Pirates will have to ask one question.
Is it worth it to pay Skenes $32-plus million in 2029 or trade him for a handful of assets that will reshape the roster moving forward?
Before that question is answered, the Pirates — and the rest of the league — will have to see what comes of the upcoming CBA negotiations and how the economic structure of the league will look when the time comes.
But given how the Pirates currently operate, the 2028 season will likely be Paul Skenes’ last in Pittsburgh. At best.
Mentioned in this article: Paul Skenes Pittsburgh Pirates
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