Overview
- Skubal filed for $32 million for 2026 against the Tigers’ $19 million figure, creating the largest known gap in MLB arbitration, with a hearing or settlement still unresolved.
- A $32 million award would eclipse David Price’s $19.75 million pitcher record and exceed Juan Soto’s $31 million mark for the highest arbitration salary overall.
- Analyses highlight that Skubal, a two-time reigning AL Cy Young winner entering his final arbitration year, can invoke special-accomplishment provisions that push comparisons beyond typical service-time peers.
- Ken Rosenthal has argued the case could reset ceilings for elite pitchers and suggested the $32 million request might be strategic, with a potential trade more likely if Detroit faces a top-end award, which has been linked in reports to teams like the Mets or Dodgers.
- Public scrutiny intensified after former MVP Josh Donaldson blasted Detroit as a “trash organization,” while reporting characterizes the Tigers as a file-and-trial club likely to proceed to a hearing.