The Detroit Tigers were baseball's best feel-good story this past season, largely in part due to their All-Star left-handed ace and likely Cy Young award winner, Tarik Skubal.
Detroit relied on Skubal throughout their improbable run to the postseason and during their playoff run, which was halted by the Cleveland Guardians in the ALDS. When Skubal wasn't pitching, the Tigers piecemealed nine innings together with a number of bullpen pitchers and fringe starters.
Skubal, 27, is one of baseball's best pitchers and the Tigers' franchise player. While he's under team control for two more seasons, Detroit already has sights on an extension for their lefty ace. According to a report from Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press, the Tigers have already tried to extend Skubal's contract in a non-competitive fashion.
He's expected to earn a long-term, lucrative contract, whether it's from the Tigers or another team once he's able to hit the open market as a free agent after the 2026 season.
Detroit has work to do this offseason to improve their roster and sustain a deeper playoff run in the near future. The Tigers need a right-handed bat and another strong starter this offseason. MLB national writer Mark Feinsand mentioned he expects Detroit to be pretty aggressive this offseason and target a number of top free agents including Alex Bregman, Pete Alonso and available starting pitchers.
But locking down Skubal for the future should still be priority one.
More of the Latest Around MLB
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Tigers Offered Cy Young Favorite Tarik Skubal Non-Competitive Extension.
