Report: Boras never countered Tigers' 1st arb figure for Skubal

Agent Scott Boras never countered the Detroit Tigers' initial offer to pitcher Tarik Skubal before last Thursday's arbitration deadline, sources told Chris McCosky of the Detroit News.

The Tigers' initial salary figure for Skubal was $19.8 million, sources told McCosky, which would have represented the highest yearly increase and largest salary ever awarded to a pitcher through arbitration.

Detroit apparently made its first offer well before the arbitration deadline, but Skubal's agent did not counter. The Tigers reportedly didn't see Boras' $32-million bid for Skubal until they exchanged numbers Thursday night.

The Tigers reportedly regarded $19.8 million as a starting point, as both sides will typically negotiate and try to reach a compromise before the deadline. The team was willing to go above $20 million and maybe closer to $25 million, McCosky reports.

Detroit ultimately submitted a figure of $19 million, leaving a $13-million gap and triggering a hearing where Skubal's salary will be determined by a neutral panel of three arbitrators.

Former big-league MVP Josh Donaldson called the Tigers a "trash organization" for botching the process with their ace, who is set to become a free agent at the end of the 2026 campaign.