If the Detroit Tigers offered Tarik Skubal a record-breaking contract for a starting pitcher tomorrow, he'd be wise to turn it down. There's a good reason for that, as the price for a high-profile starter will only go up this winter, and Skubal is far and away better than any pitcher available on the free-agent market this year. Skubal's agent, Scott Boras, is willing to play hardball when his clients would prefer to focus on the task at hand. Skubal still has a year left on his contract, and hopes to be a Tiger at least next season. Given this team nearly made the ALCS this season, Skubal's heart is in the right place. Unfortunately, every word out of his mouth suggests he won't be the one making a decision on his future.
In early October, Skubal appeared on the first episode of Chai Talk by Sana Detroit and discussed his future with the Tigers. Skubal said he'd love to remain a Tiger for life, and thinks Detroit is the best sports city in the United States. However, when he got into specifics, Skubal couldn't make any commitments.
"I hope so. Obviously there's a business side of the game that's not as good or beautiful as the baseball side," Skubal said, visibly uncomfortable. "I love playing here...I'd love to spend my entire career here...I don't get to write my own contracts so there's that business side of the sport that gets a little messy...it's out of my control."
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Tarik Skubal can't commit long term to the Tigers unless the ink is dry
In fairness to Skubal, any player in his shoes would say the exact same thing. It's really not up to him. Skubal is a Boras client, which means he's ultimately signed over that decision to the most powerful agent in baseball. Skubal may love Detroit, but if another suitor is willing to pay him more, he will most likely leave. That is the harsh reality Scott Harris and the Tigers front office is facing.
Now, none of this is on Skubal. He is the best pitcher in baseball and likely to win back-to-back AL Cy Youngs as soon as they can announce the award. This season he arguably put up better numbers than last. His bWAR was a tick higher at 6.6, and he had an AL-leading 2.21 ERA with 241 strikeouts, which was also more than his 2024 league-leading mark of 228. Skubal was dominant in the postseason, as well, despite the Tigers somehow losing both of his starts in Seattle.
Skubal's future all comes down to Scott Boras and the Tigers
Last winter, the Tigers nearly signed another Boras client in Alex Bregman. Despite offering the most years and overall money in the deal, Boras countered at an amount the Tigers did not feel comfortable matching. If that's a preview of what negotiations will be like with Skubal...Detroit has a long road ahead.
Skubal is the type of person who would rather keep his contract negotiations private and let his agent make the hard choices. He just wants to focus on pitching. If that's for the Tigers, great. If it's elsewhere, he will adjust. Knowing Skubal like they do, I'd assume that's why neither Harris nor Hinch commented on his future as a Tiger. Anything could happen this winter – including a Skubal trade if the cards fall a certain way – but talking about the matter publicly could alienate their ace. Boras knows this. Skubal knows this. The Tigers front office knows this.
A contract extension would be fantastic for the Tigers and their fanbase, but the odds of Boras signing off on it are slim. He almost always takes his clients to free agency, especially any of Skubal's caliber, because the market will decide their value. For a player like Skubal the market won't be shy if he's able to stay healthy.
Skubal will say all the right things leading into his free agency in the winter of 2026, but ultimately it'll be Boras pulling the strings and breaking hearts along the way.