Jason Burgos
Is Detroit Tigers All-Star Tarik Skubal likely to sign with the New York Yankees in two years? A popular MLB analyst warns the club that they better lock up their ace now, or he is headed to Gotham in 2027.
After Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes, Skubal is the best pitcher on the planet right now. He elevated his game to elite levels in 2024 as he posted 18 wins and a 2.39 ERA. And he has been even better in 2025 with 10 wins and a 2.19 ERA over the first four months of the season. His continued excellence puts a lot of pressure on the Tigers’ front office.
The 28-year-old is only arbitration-eligible for one more season. While he will get another raise on the $10.1 million he is making this year, he will get a massive contract if he hits the free agent market after next season. Detroit needs to lock him up to a new long-term deal. And the sooner the better.
Foul Territory Show MLB analyst and Tigers veteran Cameron Maybin also believes Detroit needs to get Skubal locked up soon. If not, he seems like a perfect fit to be wearing pinstripes in the Bronx for the Yankees in two years.
- Tarik Skubal stats: 10-3 record, 2.19 ERA, 0.815 WHIP, 164 strikeouts, 16 walks
“He has this aura. And not only seeing him pitch, being in the locker room with him, sharing a clubhouse with him. Knowing the type of competitor he is,” Maybin said this week. “And I know on the other end, I was clicking over to the Yankees game. And I was thinking about how rabid those fans are. New York fans in general, but especially the Bronx fans. And I just thought, he’s the type of guy who not only would relish the energy, the moment, the expectation, but he would dominate in that atmosphere.
“For me, when I think about the money that’s going around, I’m thinking about the highest-paid pitchers in the game. It’s easy to make sure you go and offer Tarik Skubal something right now to lock him up. And I think it will be a bargain because he’s the type of guy, once he gets paid, he’s going to want you to feel like he’s earned it,” he added. “And he’s going to get even better. This is the opportunity for Detroit to not screw this up.”
- Tarik Skubal contract: Arbitration eligible in 2026
Yoshinobu Yamamoto ($325 million), Gerrit Cole ($324 million), and Max Fried ($218 million) are currently the highest-paid pitchers in baseball. Two of them are on the Yankees. Considering how good Skubal has been and the two $700 million-plus deals that have been handed out over the last two years, Detroit will have to pay even more. The Yankees certainly will. The question is, are the Tigers willing to go to those lengths?
