Tigers' Tarik Skubal Wins Salary Arbitration Case, Will Be Paid Record $32M

Tarik Skubal won his salary arbitration hearing with the Detroit Tigers on Thursday, and the two-time Cy Young Award winner will be paid a record $32 million this year instead of the team's $19 million offer. Jeanne Charles, Walt De Treux and Allen Ponak made the decision one day after listening to arguments. A two-time All-Star, Skubal will be eligible for free agency after the World Series. The 29-year-old left-hander is 54-37 with a 3.08 ERA in six MLB seasons. Skubal was 13-6 with an American League-best 2.21 ERA in 31 starts last year, striking out 241 and walking 33 in 195 1/3 innings while earning $10.5 million. His 0.891 WHIP topped qualified pitchers. After the hearing Wednesday, the Tigers agreed to a $115 million, three-year contract with left-hander Framber Valdez, a deal pending a successful physical. Players have won the first three decisions this offseason. Right-hander Kyle Bradish was awarded $3.55 million instead of the Baltimore Orioles’ offer of $2,875,000, and catcher Yainer Diaz received $4.5 million instead of the Houston Astros’ $3 million proposal. Toronto first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. previously held the record for the highest salary in an arbitration case decided by a panel, winning at $19.9 million in 2024 in a case decided by Charles, De Treux and Scott Buchheit. Then-Colorado third baseman Nolan Arenado submitted a record request of $30 million in 2019, then agreed to a $260 million, eight-year contract without a hearing. Juan Soto’s $31 million contract with the New York Yankees in 2024 had been the largest one-year deal for an arbitration-eligible player. David Price previously held the highest negotiated salary in a one-year contract for an arbitration-eligible pitcher, a $19.75 million agreement with Detroit in 2015. Reporting by The Associated Press.