Tigers weigh extension vs trade for Tarik Skubal amid big gap

Detroit ace Tarik Skubal appears likely to be the central figure of a contentious offseason after reports this week said there remains roughly a $250 million gap between what the Detroit Tigers are willing to offer and what the pitcher and his representatives seek. Skubal, 28, will be under team control for one more season and is widely expected to reach free agency after 2026 following another dominant year on the mound.

Skubal finished the regular season with a 13-6 record, a 2.21 ERA, a 0.89 WHIP and a career-high 241 strikeouts in 31 starts, figures that make him a leading candidate for a second consecutive American League Cy Young Award. He signed a one-year deal to avoid arbitration for 2025 and is scheduled to earn a higher arbitration salary next season, leaving Detroit with three clear choices: agree to a long-term extension, trade him while he still carries trade value, or play out the final year and risk losing him in free agency for draft compensation.

Multiple league insiders described negotiation figures that differ by roughly a quarter of a billion dollars, a gap that has prompted discussion inside and outside the organization about Detroit’s appetite for an...