After receiving a record-breaking raise, the "Tiger King" was directly asked by the head coach: Are you ready to win the championship?

Tarik Skubal, the two-time AL Rookie of the Year and "Tiger King," won the largest salary arbitration case in history. The arbitration panel recently rejected the Detroit Tigers' $19 million offer (approximately 137 million RMB), awarding Skubal a $32 million annual salary (around 231 million RMB). In response, Tigers' manager A.J. Hinch immediately set a goal for his ace pitcher: to aim for the World Series.

Hinch shared on the "Foul Territory" podcast that he told Skubal, "Are you ready to win the AL Central and then compete for the World Series title?" He added, "My job as the manager is to keep pushing them and create an environment that helps them grow continuously."

Skubal expressed with enthusiasm that he is ready. After all, he has now become the highest-paid player ever at the arbitration stage. Losing the arbitration case actually increases the Tigers' chances of retaining Skubal. With his positive salary situation, contract negotiations are expected to be easier. There have been past instances where teams lost arbitration but still kept the player, while players who lost arbitration and felt undervalued by their teams tended to leave.

However, after the Tigers signed left-hander Framber Valdez to a $115 million, 3-year contract (about 831 million RMB), retaining Skubal by the end of the year has become less certain. Additionally, Skubal’s big win has raised concerns among small-market teams. For example, the Milwaukee Brewers have several talented young pitchers, and upcoming arbitration cases may impose heavy financial burdens on them.