Tarik Skubal didn’t just back Dillon Dingler after Tuesday’s win over the A’s. He doubled down, and the message to the Tigers front office is hard to miss.
Detroit’s season hasn’t matched expectations in 2026, but Dingler hasn’t been part of the problem. The catcher was named an AL All-Star reserve and has been one of the club’s most productive bats, right there with Riley Greene and Kevin McGonigle.
Even with Shea Langeliers earning the starting nod behind the plate, Dingler’s numbers have made a strong case of their own. His 3.9 fWAR in 87 games leads all American League catchers.
Skubal, who works with Dingler every time he takes the mound, made his position plain after throwing five innings and allowing one run in a 6-2 Tigers win.
"He should start the All-Star Game," the Tigers pitcher said. "He's the best catcher in baseball and he’s got every number to back it up. It’s not just an opinion, it’s a fact." pic.twitter.com/VKDVIWhdgK
- Brad Galli (@BradGalli) July 8, 2026
Skubal then explained why he trusts Dingler so much, and it went beyond the box score. In his view, the catcher’s preparation is a huge part of what makes him special.
“He’s got this little notebook,” Skubal said. “He keeps it with him everywhere.
I’m walking in today. He’s got it on the ping-pong table.
He’s going over their team vs. left-handed pitching, their team vs. right-handed pitching, writing down notes with everything. That’s the homework that gives me a ton of confidence in how he calls games.
That’s why I don’t really shake. I don’t think there’s a point to it.”
For the Tigers, Dingler is also the kind of player worth thinking about long term. He’s making under $1 million this season and is still in his pre-arbitration years, which gives Detroit some breathing room. The front office doesn’t have to rush into anything, but the idea of extending him now would help avoid a more complicated situation later.
Skubal’s own future hangs over the conversation, too. He could be headed for free agency this winter if the Tigers don’t move him before the deadline, which makes Dingler’s value even more obvious. A long-term deal that buys out his arbitration years would give Detroit control at a manageable cost.
That kind of move can go sideways - Colt Keith is the cautionary example - but the Tigers also have a model for how it can work. McGonigle signed an eight-year, $150 million extension and is now under team control through 2034. And unlike Keith or even McGonigle when those deals were signed, Dingler has already shown he can handle the job.
He also has Skubal firmly in his corner. For the Tigers, that should carry real weight.
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Scott Harris has made it clear the bar is extremely high, and that alone tells you where this is headed. Even with the deadline still in the distance, the Tigers are signaling they will not move Skubal unless the package is substantial enough to reshape the organization, which leaves the rest of the league wondering whether anyone will actually be willing to meet that price. [Read more 🡒]
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Troy Melton has given Detroit plenty to think about since coming back from injury, showing the kind of performance that can change the conversation fast. The question is whether the Tigers are willing to act now, with payroll constraints in the background and the possibility of structuring an extension in a way that delays the real financial hit until later. [Read more 🡒]