Overview
- An arbitration panel of Jeanne Charles, Walt De Treux and Allen Ponak heard the case Wednesday in Scottsdale, with a decision expected Thursday.
- Skubal filed at $32 million and the Tigers at $19 million, a record $13 million gap that forces the panel to pick one figure with no midpoint.
- A $32 million award would set a new arbitration-era high, surpassing Juan Soto’s $31 million, while a Tigers win would uphold long-standing limits for pitchers near David Price’s $19.75 million benchmark.
- The verdict will define Detroit’s 2026 payroll room and could guide remaining offseason moves under the club’s file-and-trial approach.
- Scott Boras advanced a broader fifth-year comparable argument as Skubal, a two-time AL Cy Young winner, approaches free agency after a 2025 season with a 2.21 ERA and 241 strikeouts.