Overview
- Skubal filed at $32 million and the Tigers at $19 million, the largest discrepancy on record in MLB arbitration, with a $25.5 million midpoint framing each side’s case.
- Hearings are scheduled between Jan. 26 and Feb. 13, and the three-person panel must choose one number rather than craft a compromise.
- A ruling for Skubal would surpass Juan Soto’s $31 million for the biggest one-year arbitration salary and eclipse David Price’s pitcher mark of $19.75 million; Detroit’s figure would not set a record.
- Reporting indicates Skubal could invoke a rarely used right for players with more than five years of service to compare themselves to all MLB players, not only past arbitration cases.
- The two-time AL Cy Young winner enters his final season of team control after a 2025 campaign with a 2.21 ERA and AL-best WAR, while Detroit maintains a file-and-trial approach that makes a hearing likely.