For the past few seasons, Tanner Bibee and Tarik Skubal have been two of the brightest arms in the American League Central - and really, two of the most exciting young pitchers in the game. But as of this week, the financial paths of their respective clubs are heading in very different directions.
Skubal, now a two-time reigning AL Cy Young winner, just made arbitration history. He won his case against the Tigers and will earn a staggering $32 million for the 2026 season - the highest salary ever awarded through the arbitration process.
That’s not just a win; that’s a statement. And it’s a reminder of just how dominant Skubal has been on the mound.
Over the last two seasons, he’s posted a 2.30 ERA across 387 1/3 innings - elite production by any standard, and the kind of consistency that justifies a record-setting payout.
But while the Tigers are holding onto one of the best pitchers in baseball - for now - the long-term picture is murkier. Skubal is heading into free agency next winter, and with Scott Boras as his agent, it’s safe to assume he’ll be looking for a deal that resets the market again. The Tigers may have won the short-term battle by keeping Skubal in uniform for 2026, but the war for his future is just getting started.
Meanwhile, over in Cleveland, the Guardians are looking pretty sharp for the decision they made last spring. They locked up Bibee to a five-year, $48 million extension - a move that flew under the radar at the time but now looks like a masterclass in forward-thinking roster management.
Bibee doesn’t have the hardware Skubal does, but he’s been a rock-solid presence in the Guardians’ rotation. And while his 2025 season had its ups and downs, there’s no denying the value he brings - especially at that price point.
By signing him early, Cleveland avoided the escalating arbitration ladder entirely. When Bibee hits his own five-year service mark in a couple of seasons, the Guardians will already know they’re paying him $10.4 million - a number that now feels like a bargain, especially in light of Skubal’s new $32 million figure.
It’s worth noting just how unprecedented Skubal’s arbitration win is. The Tigers had submitted a $19 million figure, which would have been more in line with previous top-end cases.
For context, David Price held the previous record for a pitcher with a $19.75 million settlement in 2015. Skubal didn’t just edge past that - he blew it out of the water.
His $32 million salary is also $1 million more than what Juan Soto earned through arbitration with the Yankees ahead of the 2024 season, and Soto’s case was already seen as a high-water mark.
What makes Skubal’s case so unique is his service time. With over five years under his belt, he wasn’t limited to comparisons with other arbitration-eligible players.
He and Boras were able to draw on comps from across the league, and the arbitrators clearly bought in. This kind of ruling doesn’t just reward Skubal - it shifts the landscape for every pitcher approaching arbitration with similar service time.
And that’s where the Guardians’ foresight really shines. There’s a world where Bibee, had he not signed that extension, would be heading into his own high-stakes arbitration hearing two winters from now. And if Skubal’s $32 million becomes the new bar for elite arms with five-plus years of service, Bibee’s future salary demands could’ve skyrocketed - especially if his performance continues to trend upward.
Instead, Cleveland gets cost certainty. They’ve got a frontline starter locked in at a below-market rate, and in a division where every dollar counts, that’s a major win. It’s not just about what Bibee is today - it’s about what he could be in two years, and how much more he might have cost if the Guardians had waited.
For the Tigers, there’s no question that keeping Skubal in the fold is a short-term victory. And their recent signing of Framber Valdez adds another high-level arm to the rotation, giving Detroit one of the more formidable one-two punches in the AL. But with Skubal’s eyes likely set on a massive free agent payday next offseason, the clock is ticking.
The Guardians, on the other hand, beat that clock. They didn’t just avoid a future arbitration headache - they sidestepped a potential financial arms race altogether.
In a division where margins are thin and every move matters, that kind of planning can make all the difference.