The 29-year-old lefty is the back-to-back AL Cy Young Award winner.
A three-person independent arbitration panel has awarded Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal a $32 million contract for the 2026 MLB season, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.
The one-year deal for Skubal, 29, means he will be eligible for unrestricted free agency next offseason.
A Wednesday hearing saw both the Tigers and Skubal present their cases for what the back-to-back AL Cy Young Award winner should earn for the coming season. Heading into the meeting, Skubal's agent, Scott Boras, asked for an arbitration record amount of $32 million — $1 million more than the $31 million Juan Soto got in 2024 with the New York Yankees. The Tigers went with $19 million, making the $13 million difference in filings the largest in MLB arbitration history.
The panel were only able to select one of the two asks from Skubal and the Tigers, not determine an amount between the totals.
The arbitration record for a pitcher was $19.75 million, which was awarded to former Tigers lefty David Price in 2015. Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s $19.9 million salary in 2024 was the highest total in an arbitration case decided by a panel. Jeanne Charles and Walt De Treaux, who were on the panel for Guerrero's decision, were part of the Skubal hearing.
Skubal was the third arbitration case decision this offseason, with the previous two also going the players' way. Baltimore Orioles pitcher Kyle Bradish was awarded $3.55 million over the team's ask of $2.875 million and Houston Astros catcher received $4.5 million rather than the $3 million the team proposed.
There are seven players remaining who have arbitration hearings scheduled, including Milwaukee Brewers catcher Willson Contreras, Kansas City Royals pitcher Kris Bubic and Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson.
The 29-year-old Skubal has become one of the best pitchers in baseball over the past two seasons. He's compiled a 31-10 record with 469 strikeouts, a 0.91 WHIP, and a .201 opponent batting average in 381 1/3 innings pitched since 2024. In that two-year span he's been a two-time AL All-Star and All-MLB First team player, won the pitching Triple Crown, and is one of six players to have won multiple Cy Youngs in the past 15 years.
Skubal led a Tigers pitching staff last season that was also carried by Jack Flaherty and Case Mize. Detroit finished second in the AL Central with an 87-75 record and reached the ALDS where they fell to the Seattle Mariners in five games.
Skubal, who will be one of Team USA's top arms at next month's World Baseball Classic, won one of his three postseason starts, pitching 20 2/3 innings and allowing four earned runs, while striking out 36 with opponents hitting .143 off of him.
This breaking news story will be updated.
Category: General Sports
