Tarik Skubal wins arbitration case vs. Tigers, sets MLB record with $32 million salary for 2026 season
The Tigers filed at $19 million, a record gap of $13 million
Reigning two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal has won his landmark arbitration case against the Detroit Tigers, reports ESPN. Skubal will be paid the $32 million he sought rather than the $19 million the Tigers filed in January. The $32 million is the largest salary for a player in his arbitration years, surpassing the $31 million Juan Soto made in 2024.
The $13 million gap between Skubal's number and the team's number was the largest in arbitration history. Here are the largest salaries for arbitration-eligible players who signed a one-year contract:
| Year | Salary | |
|---|---|---|
1. Tarik Skubal, Tigers | 2026 | $32M |
2. Juan Soto, Yankees | 2024 | $31M |
3. Shohei Ohtani, Angels | 2023 | $30M |
2025 | $28.5M | |
5. Mookie Betts, Red Sox | 2020 | $27M |
Skubal's $32 million shattered several arbitration records for pitchers. The previous record salary for an arbitration-eligible pitcher was David Price's $19.75 million with the 2015 Tigers. Also, Skubal's $21.85 million raise from his $10.15 million salary in 2025 obliterates the previous record raise for a pitcher, which was Jacob deGrom's $9.6 million raise from 2018 to 2019.
The Tigers and Skubal were unable to agree to a contract prior to the Jan. 8 arbitration salary filing deadline. Skubal filed for the record $32 million and the Tigers countered with $19 million. Because the Tigers are a "file and trial" team that does not negotiate one-year contracts after the salary filing deadline, they were all but locked into an arbitration hearing with their ace.
Skubal and agent Scott Boras successfully convinced the three-person arbitration panel he deserves the $32 million they filed, not the $19 million the Tigers filed. The panel can only pick one of those two numbers, not something in between. Skubal's hearing was scheduled for Wednesday. The panel typically deliberates for a bit, then announces their ruling the following day.
Arbitration salaries are based on similar players at the same service time level, though Skubal, as a player who is entering his final year of team control, was able to compare himself to free-agent pitchers. His $32 million salary is in line with the $30 million average annual value (before deferrals) of Dylan Cease's recent seven-year, $210 million contract with the Blue Jays.
Skubal's arbitration win will impact future arbitration-eligible pitchers as the salary bar has been raised considerably. Granted, this salary level will apply to only a select few pitchers given Skubal's credentials, though I'm sure Paul Skenes was following this case closely. This was a historic win for Skubal, first and foremost, and also for the players' union as well.
What this means for the Tigers rotation
Because he is a Boras client and a year away from free agency, Skubal has been mentioned in trade rumors all offseason. That speculation was rekindled by the gap in the filing numbers, and will likely spike again following this news and the Tigers' agreement with left-hander Framber Valdez on Wednesday. Even so, The Athletic reported Thursday morning that the Tigers did not intend to trade Skubal -- even if they lost in arbitration.
If the Tigers do keep Skubal and pair him with Valdez, they have the making of an impressive rotation. The rest of their starting five would likely include some combination of Jack Flaherty, Casey Mize, Reese Olson, and Troy Melton. Jackson Jobe, who underwent Tommy John surgery last summer, seems unlikely to factor into the equation until late in the season, if at all.
Skubal, 29, threw 195 ⅓ innings with 241 strikeouts and a league-leading 2.21 ERA en route to his second consecutive Cy Young award last season. The Tigers went 87-75 and reached the postseason, but blew a 14-game division lead in the process. They lost to the Mariners in five games in the ALDS.
