Tigers keep lowballing Tarik Skubal amid Mets trade interest

Stability at Home, Chaos Elsewhere

Across baseball, 18 players did not reach agreements and are now barreling toward arbitration hearings that benefit no one. One of those names jumped off the page immediately for the Mets: Tarik Skubal.

The Detroit Tigers are not shopping Skubal aggressively, but they are listening. They know what is coming. Skubal will reach free agency after the 2026 season, and their chances of keeping him long term are slim at best. When a small-market team starts listening rather than shutting doors, it usually means reality has arrived.

Then came the filing numbers, and reality turned into something closer to disbelief.

A Filing That Changed the Conversation

According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Skubal filed at $32 million while the Tigers countered at $19 million. A $13 million gap. The largest in arbitration history.

Read that again. Two-time American League Cy Young winner. Prime-aged left-hander. Back-to-back elite seasons. And Detroit offered $19 million.

That is not tough negotiating. That is an organizational insult.

Arbitration is supposed to be procedural. This feels personal. When a team forces a pitcher of Skubal’s stature to walk into a room and hear his value argued downward, it changes how players see their future with that franchise. Even if Detroit wins the hearing, they have already lost something more valuable.

Why the Mets Are Watching Closely

The Mets are not oblivious to moments like this. Front offices track emotional leverage just as closely as WAR and spin rates. A disgruntled ace who feels publicly undervalued is rare.

Skubal is not just good. He is historically dominant. ERAs of 2.39 and 2.21 in consecutive seasons do not happen by accident. That is frontline consistency paired with swing-and-miss stuff and a workload that still has room to grow.

If the Mets decide to engage, they can build a compelling package. Jonah Tong would likely headline it. Add in other young pitchers, prospects, and MLB-ready pieces, and suddenly the Tigers are looking at a nice return for a year of Skubal.

The Extension Angle Matters

Here is where the Mets separate themselves from most suitors. If there is a team positioned to trade for Skubal and immediately open extension talks without blinking, it is the New York Mets.

This organization has shown a willingness to pay elite pitching at the top of the market. More importantly, it has shown a willingness to do it early. Skubal is exactly the type of arm worth that commitment. Durable. Dominant. Still ascending.

A rotation led by Skubal would not just stabilize the Mets. It would redefine them.

A Quiet Deadline, A Loud Possibility

The Mets handled their arbitration business the right way. Professional. Efficient. Respectful.

Elsewhere, Detroit may have done the opposite. And if that misstep creates an opening, the Mets will be ready to walk through it.

Sometimes the most important roster moves start with someone else making a mistake.