Tigers Offered Tarik Skubal $19.8 Million, Then Filed Lower in Record Arbitration Standoff

Overview

• The sides exchanged figures on Jan. 8 with the Tigers at $19 million and Skubal at $32 million, a $13 million gap that is the largest since MLB salary arbitration began in 1974.
• An arbitration panel in February must choose either $19 million or $32 million, with no option to select a midpoint.
• If Skubal prevails, his $32 million salary would set the MLB record for an arbitration-eligible player, topping Juan Soto’s $31 million in 2024.
• Detroit’s earlier $19.8 million offer, reported to have been declined, would have set pitcher benchmarks by surpassing David Price’s $19.75 million in 2015 and exceeding Jacob deGrom’s record raise.
• Context for valuation includes Price’s 2015 figure equating to roughly $27 million in 2026 dollars and Skubal’s back-to-back AL Cy Young Awards, with free agency scheduled for November 2026.