Tigers' Lowball Contract Offer to Tarik Skubal Reportedly Revealed amid Trade Rumors

The Detroit Tigers and star pitcher Tarik Skubal reportedly have a big gap in their contract talks, and a recent report revealed just how low the Tigers' initial offer was.

Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Detroit's offer a year ago was $80 million for four years. Heyman originally reported that the initial offer was less than the $170 million deal the Boston Red Sox gave Garrett Crochet.

That four-year, $80 million deal that the Tigers offered Skubal a year ago was after he won his first AL Cy Young Award behind an 18-4 record with a 2.39 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 6.3 WAR. He was even better this year, posting a 2.21 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 6.6 WAR, all of which were career bests.

If $80 million wasn't enough for Skubal this time last year, it certainly won't be enough this year.

Heyman reported earlier this month that the gap between Skubal and the Tigers is "close to $250 million," adding that his "baseline ask" is $400 million. The highest total contract value for a full-time starting pitcher currently is Los Angeles Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto's $325 million deal, and Skubal's numbers were better than his this year.

With Skubal, who will be a free agent next offseason, and the Tigers seemingly not close to a deal yet, a handful of teams, including the New York Mets, reportedly are interested in trading for him. Should Detroit put Skubal on the trade block, The Athletic's Will Sammon noted earlier this month that the Tigers "may look to ask for two top-level starting pitchers and a position player prospect" in return for him.

But interested teams may need to pump the brakes for now. Heyman reported that "rivals still don't believe it's likely the Tigers will trade Skubal in winter because they are a contending team that made the playoffs two years running."

Behind another Cy Young-worthy season from Skubal, the Tigers finished 87-75, reaching the postseason and the ALDS for a second consecutive season. Before last year, Detroit had not made the postseason in a decade.