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The best pitcher in baseball can’t even get paid.
Tarik Skubal revealed that the Tigers never extended an official offer this winter to sign him to a long-term extension.
Instead, the two-time Cy Young Award winner will likely enter free agency next offseason.
“There is no offer, and there won’t be an offer until the end of the season,” Skubal told USA Today. “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 added that Detroit didn’t even bother negotiating with him during arbitration — which ended in a record $32 million win for the ace.
The Tigers’ only long-term offer to Skubal came two years ago for less than $80 million, with The Post’s Jon Heyman reporting in October that the parties faced a $250 million gap.
Detroit owner Chris Ilitch didn’t make the situation any clearer either, saying “let’s see how it all plays out” earlier this week.
“I would say (Tigers general manager) Scott Harris is always looking to make smart baseball decisions,” Ilitch said, per The Athletic. “I hope it’s clear I want to support our team to make sure that we are a championship-caliber organization.”
Skubal, meanwhile, just wants to focus on the upcoming season.
The Tigers had a strong offseason, adding Framber Valdez on a three-year, $115 million contract and former Tiger Justin Verlander on a cheap one-year deal in free agency.
The trio pairs with Jack Flaherty and Casey Mize to form one of the best starting rotations in baseball.
“That’s where my focus is, trying to win a World Series for the city of Detroit, the team that drafted me in 2018,” Skubal told USA Today. “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 and trying to win a World Series.”
Individually, Skubal will try to become the first American League pitcher to collect three straight Cy Young awards this season.
He led the AL in ERA in each of the last two years — 2.39 in 2024 and 2.21 in 2025 — while adding over 220 strikeouts each time.
He’ll also briefly be pitching for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, making one start Saturday against Great Britain before heading back to spring training.
Despite all his accolades across the last two years, though, the Tigers’ unwillingness to pay Skubal means this could be his last season in Motor City.
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