Tarik Skubal: the Tigers have no intention of trading him (following the arrival of Framber Valdez)

Yesterday, the Tigers locked themselves in a room with an independent arbitrator, Scott Boras, and Tarik Skubal. They said the pitcher deserved to earn only $19 million in 2026.

Boras argued that his client should earn $32 million in his final year of arbitration.

Then, a few hours later, we learned that the Tigers had offered Framber Valdez $38.33 million per year. It's a three-year contract, including an opt-out clause in two years.

Of course, it's ironic that the Tigers offered Valdez more than twice as much per year as Skubal, who is currently the best pitcher in the world and has won the last two American League Pitcher of the Year awards.

Tarik Skubal says “dinners on you” to Framber Valdez pic.twitter.com/6wmycvtU2i

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) February 5, 2026

But of course, Skubal is not a free agent. He could talk to 30 times fewer teams than Valdez this winter, which explains the difference in money. When it's his turn in a year, Skubal will earn a lot more than $115 million.

All this to say that, since we know Skubal's days are numbered in Detroit (he has virtually no chance of staying in Michigan for the 2027 season), one might wonder if Valdez was a kind of insurance policy in case Skubal leaves.

For 2027, that's most likely the case. But for 2026?

According to Ken Rosenthal (in an article for The Athletic) after checking in with his contacts, everything currently indicates that the Tigers intend to continue with Skubal in 2026.

With the signing of Framber Valdez, Tigers' goal is to win, not trade Tarik Skubal. https://t.co/wuRb77bjdB

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 5, 2026

The Tigers' goal would be to have a strong team in 2026 and push for a championship. With the team they have right now, they can certainly be among the favorites to make it to the World Series in the American League.

Could that change? Yes. But in reality, I expect to see Skubal pitch Game 1 for the Tigers in less than two months.

This content was created with the help of AI.