The Detroit Tigers are the ones who are most aware that the bad times could return more quickly than before if they don’t give Tarik Skubal what he wants. Detroit has been a below-average team for the majority of the last ten years.
That is, until Skubal rose to the top of the elite.
The Tigers’ problem is that they will need to provide him the largest contract for a pitcher in MLB history if they hope to retain him. Three teams that might sign him are the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, and New York Mets.
Zachary Rotman says he’s not interested in accepting a discount and thinks the New York Mets might be involved.
“How can anyone choose to believe they’ll win a bidding war with the Dodgers, Yankees, and Mets in the mix if the Tigers were unwilling to even entertain the thought of paying Skubal now?” Rotman wrote. “Based on his behavior throughout the entire process, it is evident that Skubal is not interested in accepting any kind of hometown discount to stay with Detroit.”
Under the direction of billionaire owner Steve Cohen, the Mets have demonstrated their willingness to spend money to acquire stars. Although David Stearns has a slightly different perspective, if given the go-ahead, he will still add a starting with Skubal’s personality.
