“Insulting”; “Mid-season Trade Incoming”: Fans Erupt As Tigers Lowball Tarik Skubal at $19M, Creating Largest Arbitration Gap

Krutik Jain

January 27, 2026 | 12:02 AM EST

“Insulting”; “Mid-season Trade Incoming”: Fans Erupt As Tigers Lowball Tarik Skubal at $19M, Creating Largest Arbitration Gap — Tarik Skubal, Source: IMAGN

Even though what Tarik Skubal says to the press about wanting to stay with the Detroit Tigers for the whole of the 2026 season, when it comes to money, both parties aren’t on the same page.

The two parties have entered arbitration after a massive gap in salary expectations. Skubal has filed for a $32 million salary, while the Tigers filed at just $19 million. The $13 million gap is the largest difference ever between the parties’ figures in MLB arbitration history.

Justin Verlander’s brother and MLB analyst Ben Verlander kind of said that it was insulting from the Tigers when they offered such a modest salary.

“$19 million?! REALLY?! That’s the number you throw out for the best pitcher in baseball that WANTS to be in Detroit?” Verlander wrote on X.

Fans reacted under this post, writing that it may result in a trade before the deadline.

“Skubal mid-season trade incoming,” one fan wrote.

“Insulting doesn’t even come close to describing it,” another added.

“Bad Owners are bad owners for a reason,” one fan said.

“Skubs to the dodgers downloading right when Max Clark and Kevin McGonigle about to take over the league,” one fan predicted.

One fan is not happy with how the Tigers are handling Skubal’s pending free agency.

“What in the absolute?!?! Like seriously, why do we seem to almost desire shooting ourselves in the foot?? Come on #Tigers” one fan commented.

“Boras was equally as bad as the Tigers. Both numbers should have been closer to 25,” one fan added.

Maybe It’s Best For Tigers To Trade Tarik Skubal

Tarik Skubal will become a free agent before the year comes to a close, assuming the Tigers don’t extend him, and the team where he potentially gets traded to doesn’t offer him an undeniable deal.

The highest salary offered in arbitration is $19.75 million, given to David Price in 2015. As such, actually, the Tigers’ figure is not that random, or one could say Skubal is expecting a lot higher than what the arbitration history says.

Given that both parties have entered the year with a dispute in salary figures, their long-term partnership is facing serious doubts. Many believe the Tigers should trade the two-time American League Cy Young Award–winning pitcher now and get a good haul in return. Trading him at the deadline will reduce the returns significantly since the opposing team will only get Skubal for half the season.