Fresh MLB Trade Rumors on Tarik Skubal and Tigers' 'Significant' Asking Price amid Contract Talks

With the looming arbitration hearing between the Detroit Tigers and Tarik Skubal, the two-time American League Cy Young winner also remains the subject of trade rumors as spring training approaches.

Per The Athletic's Jim Bowden, the Tigers still have a "significant" asking price in trade talks for Skubal that a move is considered unlikely right now.

Bowden added that Detroit still hopes to sign Skubal to a long-term deal, but it seems "difficult" to see that happening given how wide the gap in asking price between the two sides has been.

It's unclear exactly what Detroit is seeking in a trade for Skubal. One recent comparison would be the San Diego Padres trading Juan Soto to the New York Yankees prior to his final year of arbitration.

The Padres got an established MLB pitcher in Michael King, a top-100 prospect in Drew Thorpe, another mid-tier prospect from New York's system (Randy Vásquez) and two other players.

One thing that could work to the Tigers' advantage, at least as it pertains to retaining Skubal for 2026, is rival executives told Bowden they might be more inclined to wait for the left-hander to hit free agency when they could sign him without giving up anything rather than empty out their farm system in a trade for one year of team control.

There is a $13 million difference in arbitration numbers between what Skubal filed for ($32 million) and the Tigers' filing number ($19 million).

If Skubal wins and gets $32 million, he will set a new record for an arbitration-eligible player. The current record is held by Soto, who signed a one-year, $31 million deal with the Yankees in 2024 before they went to arbitration.

It's unclear what the Tigers' current offer for a long-term extension to Skubal is, but Jon Heyman of the New York Post and MLB Network reported in October there was a $250 million difference between the two sides.

Per Heyman, the "baseline ask" from Skubal's camp is a $400 million deal.

The Tigers are in a difficult spot because if they can't extend Skubal, trading him before the start of the season would allow them to bring back the most value since an acquiring team would have him for a full year.

But trading Skubal now significantly diminishes Detroit's chances of being able to compete for a playoff spot. The rest of the teams in the AL Central aren't exactly overflowing with talent right now, especially with the Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox fully in rebuild mode, so the Tigers have every reason to believe they can win the division.

All signs suggest the Tigers will enter 2026 with Skubal on their roster, but we will likely know more after the arbitration hearing is complete. There is no set date for the hearing, but they usually take place in early February.

Skubal is one of 12 pitchers in MLB history to win back-to-back Cy Young awards. He received the honor in 2025 after leading the AL with a 2.21 ERA, while striking out 241 hitters in 195.1 innings.