Tarik Skubal has submitted his arbitration figure, seeking $32 million per year, a number many around the league expected. The Detroit Tigers, however, countered at $19 million, creating a gap of more than $10 million. According to an analysis by Bob Nightengale, the pitcher won’t need to do much to justify his ask.
Nightengale laid out what Skubal needs to prove in a post on X: “So with the enormous $13 million gap between Skubal ($32M) and the Tigers ($19M), Skubal’s side must prove he’s worth more than the midpoint of $25.5 million,” the MLB insider wrote.
On the surface, it appears to be a fairly straightforward case. Given that Skubal recently won the AL Cy Young Award, his camp will simply need to highlight how dominant he has been. “If the arbitrator panel agrees, Skubal will be paid his $32 million, making him the sixth-highest-paid starter in baseball.”
What was Skubal’s salary in 2025?
During the 2025 season, Skubal earned $10.15 million, the highest salary of his MLB career to date. In 2024, he made $2.6 million. If he secures the $32 million he is requesting, that would represent a 220 percent increase in earnings for the 2026 season.
According to Mark Feinsand, the Tigers have dealt with a similar arbitration situation before. “The record for a pitcher in arbitration is David Price at $19.75 million in 2015,” Feinsand reported on X.
see also
MLB insider reveals why the Yankees backed off a pursuit of Tarik Skubal
“The Tigers haven’t gone to an arbitration hearing with a player since 2001; they won their case against right-hander Michael Fulmer in 2019. Last year, Skubal and the Tigers settled on a $10.15 million contract to avoid a hearing,” Jorge Castillo wrote for ESPN.
Reaction to Skubal’s arbitration figure quickly surfaced on X as well. “Tarik Skubal is gonna attend this arbitration hearing, hear the Tigers argue how he’s not actually that awesome, and use it as fuel to win a third straight Cy Young and make $500 million,” wrote Nugget Chef (@jayhaykid) of Underdog.
