Detroit Tigers' Tarik Skubal surgery sparks billion‑dollar free‑agency speculation

Pitcher Tarik Skubal, the Detroit Tigers' 29‑year‑old two‑time Cy Young Award winner, underwent arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies from his left elbow. The procedure, performed by Dr. Neal El Attrache using a new device, is expected to allow a return to the mound by late June or early July, with a possibility of an earlier comeback.

Skubal entered the 2026 season on a $32 million salary after winning arbitration, up from a $19 million offer by the Tigers. He currently posts a 2.70 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 45 strikeouts over 43.1 innings. Insiders project his free‑agency market at about a 7.7‑year, $357 million contract—roughly $46 million per year—potentially eclipsing the records of Max Scherzer and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Teams will await full MRI results on his elbow and shoulder before making offers, with his agent Scott Boras describing the surgery as “receiving a shot.”