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What are Tigers doing with Tarik Skubal's contract? We asked super agent Scott Boras
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- What are Tigers doing with Tarik Skubal's contract? We asked super agent Scott Boras
SAN ANTONIO — Detroit Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris refuses to talk about a contract extension for left-hander Tarik Skubal , who remains under team control for two more years before becoming a free agent after the 2026 season.
Since Harris won't talk, the next-best person to ask about a contract extension is Skubal's agent, Scott Boras . There's still plenty of time, but as of now, there doesn't seem to be any momentum toward a long-term extension.
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"You know, really, Scott (Harris) and I are going to continue to talk about him," Boras said Wednesday at the general manager meetings at the JW Marriott. "Certainly, we'll go through the arbitration process, and we'll be, I'm sure, discussing contract."
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Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) walks out of the dugout for warm up before Game 2 of ALDS against Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024.
Skubal, who turns 28 on Nov. 20, is eligible for salary arbitration in the next two years before free agency. After that, an age-30 Skubal would be free to sign with any team for the 2027 season — unless the Tigers lock him up before then.
He was arbitration-eligible in 2024 for his first of three arbitration years, earning $2.65 million. He is projected to earn $8 million in 2025, his second year of arbitration. He could earn more than $15 million in 2026, his third and final year of arbitration.
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Harris has declined to talk about contract extensions for all players, not just Skubal.
"I'm not going to comment on individuals," Harris said Oct. 14 , after the Tigers were knocked out of the postseason. "You guys saw what we did with Colt Keith (before his MLB debut). We started discussions privately, we came to an agreement (six years, $28.6 million guaranteed), and we announced it, and we're really excited about it to this day, and we think Colt is a big part of our future."
Meanwhile, Skubal has gotten comfortable deferring to Boras on the contract extension topic.
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He's also keeping all of his options on the table.
"I love playing here," Skubal said Oct. 23 on the New York Post's podcast with Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman . "That's what I'll say. I love playing here. The coaches, the teammates, the guys that we got in the clubhouse, it's a ton of fun. The fanbase, they've always been great to me and my family. As far as extension stuff, that's why I have an agent. I'll let him handle all that stuff, and however the front office goes about it, I'll be able to make a decision with the most information I got. That's all I really got to say about it. I love playing here. That's kind of how I'll handle that."
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Skubal — a former ninth-round pick who has been represented by Boras Corporation since the 2018 draft — led the American League in wins (18), ERA (2.39) and strikeouts (228) in the 2024 season, spanning 192 innings across 31 starts. He is all but guaranteed to win the AL Cy Young Award.
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He registered a 2.37 ERA with two walks and 20 strikeouts over 19 innings in three postseason starts .
His 9.1 fWAR leads MLB pitchers since July 4, 2023.
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 talks with Tigers: Agent Scott Boras speaks out
