Alright, so I got curious about Tarik Skubal’s contract situation the other day. Been watching him pitch, and you know, when a guy looks that good, you start wondering about the money side of things, how the team’s handling it.
My Digging Process
First thing I did was just some basic checking online. Fired up my usual sports info spots, the ones that track player deals and team control stuff. Didn’t take long to figure out the basics. I wasn’t looking for super deep legal analysis, just the practical stuff, you know?
Key Findings:
- He’s not hitting free agency anytime soon. Still under the Detroit Tigers’ control for a few more years, which is pretty typical for players at his service time level.
- This year, 2024, was important because he became arbitration-eligible for the first time. That’s usually when players start getting paid closer to their actual value, compared to the league minimum stuff they make right out of the gate. It’s a big step up.
- I looked specifically for what happened this past offseason regarding that arbitration. Found out he and the Tigers agreed on a salary for 2024. They didn’t have to go to a formal hearing, they worked it out beforehand. Saw the figure reported, a nice raise for him.
What I Think About It
So, he settled for this year. Makes total sense. Teams and players often prefer to avoid those arbitration hearings if they can just agree on a number. It can get a bit tense otherwise, arguing over a player’s worth like that.
But here’s the thing that really got me thinking. This guy is dealing. Like, seriously impressive stuff, especially considering he came back strong from that flexor tendon surgery. You see a young pitcher performing at this level, looking like a potential ace, and the immediate thought is: extension.
The Tigers have got to be looking at him as a cornerstone, right? It just feels obvious. Securing him long-term before his price potentially goes through the roof in future arbitration years or when he eventually hits free agency seems like the smart play. They bought out this arbitration year relatively smoothly, but the clock is ticking on those remaining team control years.
It’s always interesting to watch how teams handle these situations with their rising stars. Do they try and lock them up early with a big extension, buying out arbitration years and maybe a couple free agent years? Or do they play it year-by-year through arbitration and risk a much bigger payout later? With Skubal looking like he does, paying him a good chunk of money now might actually save them cash in the long run compared to what he could command later if he keeps this performance level up.
So yeah, that’s where my little dive into the Tarik Skubal contract situation ended up. He’s locked in for 2024 via an arbitration-avoiding deal, got his raise. But the big story I’ll be watching for is if and when that potentially massive long-term extension gets hammered out. Definitely keeping tabs on that one. Seems like a priority if you’re the Tigers.
