Tarik Skubal to Earn $32 Million in 2026 Following Historic Arbitration Case Victory

Tarik Skubal secured a historic win on Thursday. The Detroit Tigers’ ace pitcher won his arbitration case and will earn $32 million in salary in the upcoming 2026 season.

Before the arbitration deadline, the American League Central side was able to come to an agreement with 7 of its 8 players. They only player they failed to reach an agreement was Skubal.

The southpaw asked for a salary of $32 million. The Tigers, on the other hand, countered his number, offering him $19 million.

There was a gap of $13 million between the two parties. As they failed to come to an agreement, an arbitration hearing was required.

On Thursday, the decision regarding this case was revealed. Skubal ended up winning as the three-person salary arbitration panel ruled the case in his favor, making this a record-breaking arbitration victory in MLB.

BREAKING: Two-time reigning American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal won his arbitration case and will make $32 million this year, sources tell ESPN. Skubal’s bet to go for the largest salary ever in the arbitration system paid off, as he’ll make $13M more than Tigers argued.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 5, 2026

Earlier, the record salary for a player in the arbitration belonged to Juan Soto. In 2024, the Dominican international set a new record after settling for $31 million with the New York Yankees.

That same season, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. set the record for the highest arbitration case won at $19.9 million with the Toronto Blue Jays. As for a pitcher, the record salary for an arbitration-eligible pitcher was held by David Price, who earned $19.75 million, coincidentally from the Tigers in 2015.

Meanwhile, Jacob DeGrom held the record for the biggest raise ($9.6 million) for an arbitration-eligible pitcher, jumping from from $7.4 million to $17 million in a deal with the New York Mets in 2019. Following his victory, Skubal has broken these records.

Tarik Skubal won his arbitration case against the Detroit Tigers and will make $32 million in his final year under contract with the team, per @JeffPassan

Skubal's deal is the most ever for an arbitration contract, $1 million more than Juan Soto's deal with the Yankees in 2024 pic.twitter.com/MIFGlRRWHt

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) February 5, 2026

After winning the Cy Young Award in 2024, Skubal and the Tigers were able to arbitration hearing in 2025 after coming to a $10.1 million agreement.

The American international had another dominating run in the 2025 season. He went 13-6 with a 2.21 ERA and 241 strikeouts in the regular season. This saw him receive 26 first-place votes and claim a second successive Cy Young Award.

Tigers to have two pitchers with over $30 million salary in 2026 following Tarik Skubal’s arbitration case win

Tarik Skubal will make $32 million in the 2026 season after a historic arbitration win. Following this, the Detroit Tigers will have two pitchers who will make over $30 million in the upcoming season.

Just a day before this arbitration deal, the Tigers roped in Framber Valdez. The pitcher joined the AL Central side on a 3-year, $115 million deal with a reported Average Annual Value of $38.3 million.

This development sparked some furious reactions among fans. Amidst this, Skubal would send a message to his new teammate through his Instagram account.

Tarik Skubal says “dinners on you” to Framber Valdez pic.twitter.com/6wmycvtU2i

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) February 5, 2026

Now, both he and Valdez will make over $30 million in 2026. Tigers star Jack Flaherty would then send a message to both of the pitchers.

In an Instagram story, the starting pitcher would send the same message as Skubal and express that the dinner was now on both of them. He would pen this down while sharing a Michael Jordan meme.

Dinners on Skub and Framber

Jack Flaherty on Tarik Skubal and Framber Valdez on Instagram

Skubal and Valdez are expected to form a powerful 1-2 punch. Flaherty, along with Casey Mize and Reese Olson are expected to complete the pitching rotation for the Tigers in 2026.

The Tigers last season suffered a late blow in the division title race and lost the crown to the Cleveland Guardians. While they did beat the Cleveland-based side in the Wild Card Series, they ended up losing in the American League Division Series (ALDS) against the Seattle Mariners.

Also Read:

• Tigers GM Claims No Player Is “Untouchable” Amid 2x Cy Young Award Winner Tarik Skubal’s Trade Speculation
• “Going to Be a Big Year,” Jazz Chisholm Jr. Expresses Confidence About 2026 Season with the Yankees