Tarik Skubal: Potential $400M Man of the Detroit Tigers

Tarik Skubal, a remarkable presence in the Detroit Tigers, has witnessed a range of queries about his contract situation. Speculations about his contract extension, free-agent status, and his future within the team are among the prominent ones. Various answers, clear and ambiguous, have been provided concerning these numerous queries.

Currently at 28 years of age, Skubal is set to experience his inaugural free agency after the completion of the 2026 season. This provides the Tigers with his skill set for two expected playoff drives in the years 2025 and 2026. However, no assurance exists for anything beyond this.

Tarik Skubal’s contributions to the game have been recognized and honored. In 2024, Skubal claimed the American League Cy Young Award after topping the AL with the maximum victories, greatest ERA, and the highest strikeouts. Moreover, based on his current performance, he is strongly anticipated to retain this award with just two months remaining in this playing season.

When it comes to contract details, Skubal and the Tigers reached a consensus on a single-year, $10.15 million contract for the 2025 playing season on January 9, thus steering clear of arbitration. However, he has an additional year of arbitration before he transitions into a free agent after the culmination of the 2026 MLB season.

A natural inquiry is whether there will be a contract extension between Skubal and the Detroit Tigers. It is generally predicted that the Tigers won’t offer Skubal a long-term contract extension ahead of the current deal’s expiration in 2026. A contract extension proposal has previously been put forth by the Tigers, but it was declined due to a lack of competitiveness.

Skubal’s representation is handled by Scott Boras, a highly influential figure within the baseball agency category. Boras is distinguished for his propensity to take his clients through to free agency in order to secure more lucrative deals. This often includes prolongation of winter discussions and introducing unsigned players even in February.

A significant milestone could be awaited by Skubal; he may be the first-ever pitcher to bag a $400 million contract. Barring potential injuries, projections indicate that he could be earning an annual pay of between $35 to 40 million over a term of 8-10 years in the open market. The prevailing record for the highest annual value for a pitcher, not accounting for Shohei Ohtani, is held by Max Scherzer at $43.3 million.

As Skubal’s initial venture into free agency approaches, he will reach the age of 30 on November 20, 2025. This milestone will coincide with a major turning point in his professional baseball career.

Skubal’s health record since his recovery from flexor tendon surgery, performed on July 4, 2023, has been impressive. Furthermore, in 2016, Skubal underwent Tommy John surgery while studying at Seattle University and was forced to skip the entire 2017 season.

Scott Harris, serving as the Tigers’ president of baseball operations, has been reluctant to comment on Skubal’s future contract issues until formal announcements are made. Harris has consistently refused to divulge details about ongoing negotiations or prospective contracts.

Skubal’s own remarks regarding his contract have been lighthearted yet guarded. In June 2025, during a studio visit in Chicago, an imagined contract offer of 10 years for $425 million was presented to him. Skubal accepted the offer in good humor, permitting the show hosts to fictitiously negotiate on his behalf.

His later comments in January 2025 at a basketball game in East Lansing reiterated his privacy stance on such matters. However, his affection for the Detroit Tigers was evident when he stated, ‘I love playing here’ on October 23, 2024. Skubal praised his coaches, teammates, and the fanbase while emphasizing that the contractual extensions are better left to be handled by his agent.

Skubal’s ascent to professional baseball dates back to being selected in the ninth round of the 2018 MLB Draft, with the No. 255 overall pick from Seattle University. Initially an overlooked prospect from Kingman, Arizona, Skubal had only one Division I offer coming out of high school, but his talents have proven to be invaluable to the Detroit Tigers.