Tarik Skubal revealed that the Detroit Tigers didn't offer the reigning two-time AL Cy Young winner a contract extension this winter or even attempt to negotiate with him during arbitration.
"There is no offer," Skubal told Bob Nightengale of USA Today. "And there won't be an offer until the end of the season. ... My focus is on playing baseball and winning this year. I'll deal with the contract stuff at the end of the year and then we'll kind of see. And that's fine. It's their decision."
Skubal, who's slated to hit free agency after the 2026 campaign, will make $32 million this year following his historic arbitration win in early February. The Tigers filed for $19 million, creating the largest gap between a team and player since the process began in 1974.
In 2024, the left-hander reportedly rejected a four-year extension offer from the Tigers that was worth less than $100 million.
Despite the lack of progress on a new deal, Skubal is excited for what could be his last year with the Tigers, especially due to the offseason additions of Framber Valdez, Justin Verlander, and Kenley Jansen.
"That's where my focus is, trying to win a World Series for the city of Detroit, the team that drafted me in 2018," the 29-year-old said. "The Tigers fans are excited. They're really invested in this club, and so are we. There's a different energy in camp this year about the guys that we brought in and additions that we've made, and there's a true belief."
Skubal owns a 3.08 ERA with 3.14 FIP and 10.4 K/9 over 766 2/3 innings (134 starts) across six years in the majors.
