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Tarik Skubal and Tigers agree on $10.15 million salary for 2025, avoiding arbitration
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- Tarik Skubal and Tigers agree on $10.15 million salary for 2025, avoiding arbitration
Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal has received a signifiant pay raise.
Skubal, the reigning American League Cy Young winner , signed a one-year, $10.15 million contract with the Tigers for the 2025 season before MLB's deadline Thursday to avoid arbitration, according to sources with knowledge of the agreement granted anonymity because the deal hasn't been announced.
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Had the two sides not agreed, there would have been an arbitration hearing to determine Skubal's salary.
Skubal, 28, will be eligible for salary arbitration for the third and final time after the 2025 season. From there, he will become a free agent after the 2026 season — unless the Tigers sign him to a contract extension .
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Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) looks on during the seventh inning against Chicago White Sox at Comerica Park in Detroit on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024.
Skubal, a client of agent Scott Boras who previously turned down an extension offer from the Tigers, received a $7.5 million raise from his $2.65 million salary in 2024 by agreeing to a $10.15 million salary in 2025.
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The increase from 2024 to 2025 represents a 283.02% raise.
He earned every bit of it.
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In 2024, Skubal posted an 18-4 record with a 2.39 ERA, 35 walks and 228 strikeouts across 192 innings in 31 starts. He made the All-Star Game for the first time in his five-year MLB career and secured the first AL pitching Triple Crown since 2011.
Skubal established himself as the ace of the Tigers and the best pitcher in baseball.
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The Tigers agreed to terms with all nine arbitration eligible players for 2025: Skubal ($10.15 million), right-handed reliever Jason Foley ($3.15 million), outfielder Matt Vierling ($3.005 million), catcher Jake Rogers ($2.64 million) and right-hander Casey Mize ($2.34 million), infielder/outfielder Zach McKinstry ($1.65 million), right-handed reliever Will Vest ($1.4 million), infielder Andy Ibáñez ($1.4 million) and right-handed reliever Beau Brieske ($1.025 million).
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Skubal was projected by MLB Trade Rumors to get $8 million in his second round of salary arbitration, so he beat the industry-standard projection system by more than $2 million.
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He is on track for a bigger raise in his final round of the arbitration process after the 2025 season, especially if he turns in another Cy Young-caliber performance.
For example: Right-hander Corbin Burnes — the 2021 National League Cy Young winner — received raises from $6.5 million in his first year of arbitration (2022) to $10 million in his second year of arbitration (2023) to $15.6 million in his third year of arbitration (2024). After the 2024 season, Burnes entered free agency and signed a six-year, $210 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks .
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Two other examples: Right-hander Dylan Cease got $5.7 million in 2023, $8 million in 2024 and $13.75 million in 2025, with free agency next offseason; right-hander Zac Gallen got $5.6 million in 2023, $10.011 million in 2024 and $13.5 million in 2025, with free agency next offseason.
MORE ABOUT HIM: Once upon a time, Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal dreamed of playing Division III basketball
The salary arbitration record belongs to outfielder Juan Soto , who settled at $31 million with the New York Yankees before the 2024 season. In December, Soto signed a 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets .
Skubal won't get close to Soto's record, either in arbitration or free agency, but he has a chance to become the first pitcher in MLB history to sign a $400 million free-agent contract after the 2026 season, as long as he maintains health and performance.
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Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Tarik Skubal contract: Tigers agree on 2025 salary, avoid arbitration
