Overview
- Detroit’s $19 million figure versus Skubal’s $32 million request creates a record $13 million gap for a pitcher and points to a likely arbitration hearing.
- A decision near Skubal’s ask would surpass David Price’s $19.75 million pitcher mark and challenge panels to look beyond traditional service-time comparables.
- The Tigers are viewed as a file-and-trial club, a posture that reduces the odds of a post-filing settlement and heightens the stakes of a hearing.
- Trade speculation has intensified, with Ken Rosenthal suggesting the high ask could be strategic and ex-executive David Samson urging a pre-season deal, while the Mets and Dodgers are most often cited and the Yankees, Red Sox and Orioles also mentioned as possibilities.
- Public pressure has grown after former MVP Josh Donaldson blasted Detroit on X, as Skubal’s back-to-back Cy Youngs and a 2025 line of 2.21 ERA and 241 strikeouts underpin his leverage.