Tarik Skubal Top Trade Landing Spots After Tigers Contract Decided in Historic MLB Arbitration Case
Reigning two-time American League Cy Young-winning starting pitcher Tarik Skubal asked for $32 million in 2026 from the Detroit Tigers, who offered the southpaw $19 million.
The two went to arbitration on Wednesday, and a case decided by Jeanne Charles, Walt De Treux and Allen Ponak ended with Skubal earning $32 million, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.
The big question, of course, is what happens with Skubal down the road. The left-hander is eligible for free agency next summer, and he could very well land the biggest contract for a pitcher in MLB history. That record is currently held Los Angeles Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto and his 12-year, $325 million deal.
Of note, Detroit signed left-hander Framber Valdez to a three-year, $115 million contract in free agency on Tuesday, according to MLB.com's Tim Stebbins. The Valdez contract would give the Tigers a formidable 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation if they keep Skubal. On the other hand, the team could also opt to trade Skubal to bring in prospects with Valdez now in the rotation.
Three options realistically exist: The Tigers can hang onto Skubal all season and hope to sign him to a new deal in the 2026-27 offseason, they can deal him before the 2026 deadline (Aug. 3) or they can trade him before the 2026 season begins.
One can guess the Tigers would love to sign Skubal, the unquestioned best pitcher in the game right now, to a long-term deal. If it looks like that isn't going to happen, here's a look at five possible landing spots via trade.
Los Angeles Dodgers
1 of 5
The Los Angeles Dodgers get any big available name these days, whether it hitters (e.g. Kyle Tucker, Freddie Freeman), pitchers (e.g. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell) or both (Shohei Ohtani).
So of course, the Dodgers would be in the mix on Skubal, who they can presumably afford. Per Spotrac, Los Angeles' luxury tax payroll has ballooned to over $412 million, and one can guess there may be no ceiling here as far as adding more expensive talents go based on previous additions.
New York Mets
2 of 5
The New York Mets' offseason was awfully quiet and disappointing until an explosive January that saw the team make a host of moves that included trading for new staff ace Freddy Peralta and adding infielder Bo Bichette in free agency.
Like the Dodgers, the Mets aren't afraid of spending money thanks to owner Steve Cohen's deep pockets, and they're in a position where they have to hope to keep pace with L.A. just to get out of the National League. Their NL East division is tough enough with the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves looking strong on paper.
Adding Skubal would be massive win for the Mets, who get a great counter to the best and deepest lineup in baseball.
Baltimore Orioles
3 of 5
The Baltimore Orioles have been busy this offseason in hopes of quickly moving past last year's last-place performance, beefing up the lineup with first baseman Pete Alonso and outfielder Taylor Ward and bringing in starting pitcher Shane Baz from the Tampa Bay Rays for four prospects.
The O's could still use a top-of-the-rotation pitcher as they hope to move back up the standings. Baltimore's farm system obviously took a hit with the Baz trade, but the O's still have talent left in the minors (No. 13 ranked farm system, per ESPN.com).
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Seattle Mariners
4 of 5
The Seattle Mariners got as close as they ever have to the World Series last year before losing to the Toronto Blue Jays in seven games in the American League Championship Series.
The table is set for the Mariners to make another deep playoff run. They brought back the vast majority of the talent from last year's team and added infielder Brandon Donovan (.287 BA/.775 OPS) from the St. Louis Cardinals.
The M's do have the American League's deepest rotation on paper, so pitching isn't exactly a need. However, adding Skubal is the type of move that can propel the Mariners into becoming instant American League favorites.
Philadelphia Phillies
5 of 5
It's crunch time for the Phillies. They made the World Series in 2022. They could have easily made it in 2023 before the Arizona Diamondbacks upset them in the National League Championship Series. They won 95 games in 2024 and 96 games in 2025, and all they have to show for it are back-to-back defeats in the National League Division Series.
The Phillies sport an incredibly talented and potent lineup, but they aren't getting any younger, with five projected starters between 32-34 years of age. The starting pitching staff could use help, with Ranger Suárez leaving town for the Boston Red Sox, staff ace Zack Wheeler working his way back from venous thoracic outlet syndrome (hopefully he returns to 100 percent health ASAP) and Aaron Nola coming off a year where he posted a 6.01 ERA.
Skubal could ultimately be the piece the Phillies need to finally get over the hump.
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