Tarik Skubal has established himself as the best pitcher in baseball. His numbers to start the season – a 2.06 ERA and a 117/12 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 96 innings – make his first-half of the year among the best in modern memory.
Which makes the price tag on an eventual Skubal long-term contract go up, up and up. But neither Skubal, or the Tigers, are willing to comment on contract extension talks – if there have even been any.
“I just don’t think it does any good to come out and say anything about what’s going on,” Skubal said, via The Detroit News. “If something changes, I might comment on it. But it doesn’t do any good so I’m going to keep it to myself, to my agent and to the front office.”
Skubal added: “Winning is where my focus is at. There’s been some comments made that are interesting. Not from me. But I’m going to be focused about winning and doing what I can do.”
Said Scott Harris, the Tigers’ president of baseball operations: “We’re not going to talk about negotiations before we’ve reached the deal. It’s not fair to the player, it’s not fair to the organization, and it’s not fair to the entire industry to float out offers or counters or any of that stuff.”
Nothing the Tigers do will change Tarik Skubal contract negotiations
Skubal is represented by Scott Boras, who prefers that his players establish their values on the open market. It’s how he operates, how he’s always operated, and he won’t change that stance with a player like Skubal. So he’s essentially destined to reach free agency after the 2026 season and whether it’s in Detroit or elsewhere, he’ll be a strong candidate to sign one of the biggest contracts for a starting pitcher in baseball history.
A return to Detroit should not be ruled out for Skubal. After all, he clearly loves the organization. The organization loves him. They are ascending and one of the best franchises in the American League. They have tremendous leadership in Harris and manager A.J. Hinch.
But Skubal and Boras will likely prioritize dollars in free agency and look for the biggest contract on the market. A pitcher of Skubal’s caliber will have many of the top organizations going all-in for his services and the bidding could get crazy, which could limit the Tigers’ chances of retaining him long-term.
For now, however, Skubal and the Tigers are focused on this season. As they should be. They’re 49-30 and have the best record in the American League. But the questions about his contract and looming free agency will only grow louder over the next few months, which makes winning this season imperative, and could make them the team to watch at the trade deadline in late July.