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Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal made MLB history Thursday when he reportedly won his arbitration case that will pay him $32 million this season over his team’s proposed $19 million salary.
Skubal, who won his second consecutive American League Cy Young Award in 2025, had a three-person salary arbitration panel rule in his favor, ESPN reported.
Skubal’s win marks a new salary record awarded to a player in the arbitration system at $1 million. The New York Yankees avoided arbitration with Juan Soto in January 2024 and awarded him a $31 million deal for that year.
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Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) reacts after giving up a hit against the Minnesota Twins in the fourth inning at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota on August 14, 2025. (Jesse Johnson/Imagn Images)
Skubal was in a unique position heading into arbitration with five-plus years of service, while also being able to use the “special performance” clause that helps win Cy Young Awards. That allowed Skubal not just to compare his proposed salary to those who have faced arbitration, but the rest of the league.
As a result, Skubal could point to pitchers like Zack Wheeler ($42 million), Jacob deGrom ($38 million) and Gerrit Cole ($36 million) heading into 2026.
TIGERS, TARIK SKUBAL IN REACHING DEAL, FACE RECORD 13 MILLION. USD SALARY WHICH THE TRADE RUMOR IS SILENT
The Tigers’ previous high was the $19.75 million paid to David Price, another talented left-handed starter for the organization, to avoid a hearing in 2015. That all came down to the panel’s decisions, but ultimately Skubal remains a Tigers pitcher heading into 2026.
Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal high-fives teammates in the dugout after a pitching change during the seventh inning at Comerica Park in Detroit, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
As for his future, Skubal is set for free agency at the end of the 2026 season, though a lot can happen between then. This arbitration win does not confirm that he will spend the entire season in Detroit, especially given the trade rumors that have swirled around the organization.
However, the Tigers bolstered their chances to repeat as AL Central champions, acquiring veteran left-handed starter Framer Valdez via free agency. They reached a three-year, $115 million deal with Valdez on Wednesday — hours before the panel’s decision on Skubal.
Now, Detroit enters the season as one of the best one-two punches in a starting rotation in MLB.
Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) pitches in the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan on September 6, 2025. (Rick Osentoski/Imagn Images)
After a stellar 2024 campaign that ended with some much-deserved hardware, Skubal followed it up with an AL-leading 2.21 ERA over 195.1 innings in 31 starts. He also struck out 241 batters, 13 more than his league-leading mark the year before.
