Considered one of baseball’s most electric arms, Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal finally reached superstardom last year, winning the American League Cy Young Award.
He’s on pace to put together an even better season this year, and the market value for his next contract continues to rise. Many have speculated whether the mid-market Tigers would can or want to spend what it would cost to lock him up.
With all the speculation, a Detroit official made the team’s stance clear recently regarding Skubal’s future with the Tigers.
Jeff Greenberg: Tigers Want to Reach an Extension With Tarik Skubal
Tigers general manager Jeff Greenberg spoke to MLB Network radio about the team’s hot start to 2025 and the potential of signing Skubal to a long-term deal. Greenberg revealed that the goal of the front office, led by President of Baseball Operations Scott Harris, is to retain elite talent like Skubal.
However, he also clarified that ” it takes two sides to find common ground.”
Could the Tigers get an extension done with ace Tarik Skubal? 🐯💰@tigers | #RepDetroit
🔗https://t.co/fGPbvbj8w4 pic.twitter.com/6HCaF9s3xH— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) June 8, 2025
The Tigers selected Skubal in the ninth round of the 2018 MLB Draft. The left-hander always flashed potential but dealt with injuries and inconsistencies earlier in his career. That said, he has taken his game to another level since returning from Tommy John surgery in 2023.
That year, he made his debut on July 4 and tossed a total of 80.1 innings over 15 starts. He posted a 2.80 ERA (155 ERA+) and struck out 102 batters for a Tigers team that was long out of postseason contention.
Despite the success, Skubal entered 2024 having to prove that he could stay healthy and produce like that over the course of a full season. And he did just that.
Last year, he led MLB with a 2.39 ERA (170 OPS+) and 228 strikeouts in 31 starts. Skubal earned the first Cy Young award of his career and established himself as one of, in not the best pitcher in the game. This, on top of leading the 2024 Tigers to an unprobable postseason appearance, has led many to wonder how big his next contract will be.
The speculation keeps growing as there’s a strong argument that he’s an even better pitcher this season. He’s currently on pace to pitch over 200 innings for the first time in his career and has an incredible 105 strikeouts in 83 innings pitched.
However, it’s Skubal’s command that really highlights why he has become even more dominant.
Tarik Skubal, Filthy 88mph Changeup. 👌 pic.twitter.com/cGhEUAO7WU
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 6, 2025
The ace has only issued seven walks so far this season. After having an 8.2% walk rate in his rookie season, Skubal’s walk rate has declined nearly every season since. Even though he still has elite stuff, including a fastball that has reached 102 mph in the ninth inning, he has evolved from thrower to pitcher.
What’s even scarier for opposing hitters is that Skubal’s velocity has gone up while his command improves. He’s throwing his fastball, sinker, slider, and changeup all harder than last season.
Tarik Skubal, 97mph Paint. 🖌️🎨 pic.twitter.com/XhstCKB9kG
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 31, 2025
Potential Skubal Contract
Skubal’s agent, Scott Boras, will push for him to sign the largest contract by a left-handed starting pitcher in baseball history. The Boston Red Sox extended Garrett Crochet to a $170 million contract this past April. If Skubal works out a pre-free agency extension with Detroit, Boras will not settle for anywhere near that number.
In free agency, Max Fried signed an eight-year, $218 million contract with the New York Yankees, while Blake Snell signed a five-year, $182 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
If Skubal wins another Cy Young Award, you could argue he deserves more money than Fried, because while Fried is durable, he’s never won a Cy Young Award, while Skubal would have two. Snell has multiple Cy Young Awards, but isn’t as durable or consistent as Skubal has been.
Will the Tigers commit to signing Skubal to a record-breaking contract? Their spending so far this decade makes that appear unlikely, but with the team finally back in contention for winning the World Series, perhaps they will step up and make the offer to ensure Skubal stays in Detroit.