The Detroit Tigers are keeping up good relations with their star pitcher.
The Tigers and Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal agreed to a 1-year deal on Thursday to avoid arbitration. Skubal is getting $10.15 million from the Tigers in the deal.
2025 is Skubal’s second year of arbitration eligibility. He earned $2.65 million in 2024, which was his first year of arbitration eligibility, so he is getting nearly a 300 percent raise. 2026 is scheduled to be his final year under team control before he can become a free agent.
Tigers fans would probably love to see Skubal signed beyond 2026, but that isn’t happening yet. Still, it’s usually a good thing if teams can avoid going to arbitration with their best players to avoid fraying their relationship during that salary negotiation process.
Skubal has made $5.8 million in his career and is set to earn nearly double that in the coming season. The 28-year-old was a complete bargain last season. He went 18-4 with a 2.39 ERA and 228 strikeouts in 192 innings. Skubal won the Cy Young Award via a uninamous vote and finished 7th in AL MVP voting.
