Tigers arrive at pivotal point in Tarik Skubal’s future originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The day has arrived.
Tarik Skubal and the Detroit Tigers are going to a salary arbitration hearing on Thursday, one that has already set an MLB record before they stepped into the room.
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Skubal’s camp filed at a value of $32 million.
The Tigers put in a value of $19 million.
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Never before has there been a wider valuation gap than this $13 million margin heading into an arbitration hearing.
Once both sides make their cases, which can be contentious, there will be a ruling. Either Skubal will make $32 million in 2026, or he will make $19 million.
The back-to-back AL Cy Young winner will certainly come out of that room with a better or worse taste in his mouth, depending on what happens.
Given that Skubal is also involved in trade rumors, it’s a chaotic time for him and the Tigers.
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«Perhaps the result of Skubal’s arbitration hearing, expected Thursday, will provide additional clarity,» ESPN’s Jeff Passan wrote in a new article.
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Arbitration hearings are pretty much all based on precedent. There are formulas and past salaries to point to that show what a player should be worth.
Skubal, though, is pretty much unprecedented. Rarely has a player even close to this successful and dominant gone to arbitration.
It’s hard to argue Skubal isn’t worth all the money the Tigers could possibly give him, but the process does set up to give Detroit a chance to win the case.
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The vibes that emerge from that room could have a sizable bearing on the future of Detroit’s ballclub.
