Despite a 10-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night, things are looking pretty good for the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers own the best record in the American League at 44-25 and have the largest lead of any division leader, sitting seven games above the second-place Minnesota Twins in the AL Central.
At this rate, playoff baseball seems like a certainty for the Tigers this year, but chances are they’d like to establish a run of success beyond this season.
The first step is to lock up some of their core talent. While they were able to reach a long-term deal with infielder Colt Keith this winter, there’s another domino that’s yet to fall. On Wednesday, he indicated he isn’t willing to take a discount to stay in Detroit and produced a massive storyline that will play out in the coming months.
Tarik Skubal Names Asking Price amid Contract Talks with Tigers
The Tigers are reportedly working on a new contract for ace Tarik Skubal and for good reason. Skubal won the American League Cy Young Award and Triple Crown last year, going 18-4 with a 2.39 ERA and 228 strikeouts. He has backed it up with an even better 2025 campaign, going 6-2 with a 2.16 ERA and 105 strikeouts to seven walks in his first 13 starts.
With negotiations ongoing, Skubal was a guest on the Pardon My Take podcast and was asked if a 10-year, $420 million deal would be enough to keep him in Detroit.
“That sounds good,” Skubal replied according to Christian Romo of the Detroit Free Press.
A large chunk of Skubal’s appearance included jokes about how much money he could get if he were a free agent. But the Tigers probably aren’t laughing knowing that their ace isn’t likely to take a hometown discount.
Skubal isn’t scheduled to become a free agent until after the 2026 season, but Tigers fans are bracing for a deal that could surpass Miguel Cabrera’s eight-year, $248 million contract in 2014. The pitching market exploded last offseason with fellow left-hander Max Fried signing an eight-year, $218 million contract with the New York Yankees, yet Skubal’s resume suggests he should command way more on the open market.
The Tigers would also be wise not to hand Skubal a blank check. Skubal had Tommy John surgery in 2016 and flexor tendon surgery in 2022. While he’s broken out over the past three seasons, Skubal will turn 29 in November and plays a position that ages as well as milk in a cornfield with several high-priced pitchers winding up on the shelf with long-term injuries. That includes Corbin Burnes, who will undergo Tommy John surgery after signing a six-year, $210 million contract last winter.
While Skubal is more focused on helping the Tigers make a deep run in October, his next contract is something that will loom over the franchise until he signs on the dotted line.