"Tiger King" Skubal's salary arbitration hearing concludes; $32 million demand to be decided tomorrow

Detroit Tigers ace starter Tarik Skubal has completed his salary arbitration hearing with the team for the current season. Should Skubal succeed, his salary will be $32 million; if the team wins, it will be $19 million. The $13 million difference is the biggest salary arbitration gap ever recorded, and the outcome is anticipated to be revealed tomorrow.

Over six seasons with the Tigers, Skubal has compiled a record of 54 wins and 37 losses with a 3.08 ERA. Two years ago, he won the American League pitching triple crown and earned his first Cy Young Award; last year, he started 31 games, posting a 13-6 record with a 2.21 ERA, once again leading the AL in ERA and repeating as Cy Young winner. His $10.15 million salary then was a personal single-season high.

Skubal’s salary demand this year differs from the team's offer by $13 million, the largest gap between labor and management since MLB introduced salary arbitration in 1974, drawing significant attention. According to ESPN, Skubal attended the arbitration hearing today, and a panel of three arbitrators will issue their ruling tomorrow.

New York Mets slugger Juan Soto, who played for the Yankees two years ago, secured a $31 million salary through arbitration, which remains the highest single-season salary ever for a player eligible for salary arbitration.