After a bumpy first couple of games in 2025, Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal locked in for his third start of the campaign against the New York Yankees. He was absolutely electric in the Tigs' 5-0 victory Tuesday afternoon, throwing six scoreless innings with four hits allowed and six strikeouts.
The Tigers are 7-1 since the Dodgers swept them to begin the season. Skubal has been responsible for two losses, but it was only a matter of time until the reigning AL Cy Young found his stuff. And he found it Tuesday against one of the American League's most talent-rich lineups, missing torpedo bats and regular barrels alike.
Skubal is beloved in Detroit and he has done nothing but express appreciation for the organization. Loyalties change quickly in MLB, though, and Skubal's future is murkier than folks in Motown would like to admit.
He's only under contract through next season, his final year of arbitration eligibility. The Tigers presumably hope for Skubal to finish out his contract and re-sign, but with some of the contract numbers getting thrown around these days, we cannot assume that Skubal will stick around. Corbin Burnes got $210 million. Max Fried got $218 million. Skubal, in the prime of his career, should get more than both.
We know Detroit's spending habits. The Yankees feel like a logical destination based on market appeal and their cash-rich ownership, so perhaps Tuesday was a nice preview for baseball's most spoiled east coast fanbase. Yankees manager Aaron Boone sure sounds like he'd enjoy having Skubal on his team.
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Aaron Boone heaps praise on Tigers ace Tarik Skubal after Yankees shutdown
When asked about Skubal's dominance postgame, Boone was quick to praise the Tigers' ace.
"[Skubal is] as good as it gets," he said. "Pressure him early like that. You hope you can cash in there, but it's also what makes him really good. I thought he was tough today. I thought his fastball was good, but he's so unpredictable. He can throw that changeup or drop in a slider at any point, and again, you see that delivery and the deception it creates. It just makes him hard to track."
Aaron Boone with @M_Marakovits & the media following Tuesday's game. #YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/REvvQjmOin
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) April 8, 2025
All valid points, and all reasons Skubal would look great in pinstripes. It's a time-honored tradition for small-market stars to run out their initial contracts and then bolt for prestige coastal markets. We know the Yankees need pitching depth beyond Gerrit Cole and Max Fried.
This is the nightmare outcome for Tigers fans, of course, especially after New York dispatched Detroit in the 2024 MLB Playoffs. The Yankees are accustomed to what feels like preferential treatment in the free agent market. Players (and agents) want to end up in the Bronx, with baseball's most historic club. It leaves a team like Detroit, short on financial resources and market cachet, in a tough spot.
Skubal does not seem like the type who's motivated by money more than winning, but there isn't a free agent in baseball who'd take a truly substantial hometown discount. If Skubal's contract runs close to the $300 million range, it's tough to imagine the Tigers, with the 21st-highest payroll out of 30 teams, coughing up the necessary dough. The Yankees is spending roughly $73 million more than Detroit this season, and that's despite whiffing on Juan Soto.
Skubal will have other suitors — all the typical culprits, such as LA, Boston, and the Mets — but the Yankees feel like an especially natural landing spot, especially if Boone keeps telling us how great Skubal is every time the two face off.