Detroit Tigers’ ace Tarik Skubal has been making headlines not only for his performance on the mound, but also his looming contract situation with the team.
Skubal can become a free agent after the 2026 season unless he and the Tigers can reach a contract extension. With an extension still not currently agreed upon, many have begun to speculate where Skubal could pitch next should he depart from Detroit.
Former 15-year MLB veteran Cameron Maybin suggested in a series of tweets made on X that Skubal could end up in the Bronx playing for the New York Yankees in the event that he and Detroit have a divorce.
“If the Tigers screw this up, there’s only one place Skubal belongs.....rocking pinstripes in the Bronx! Aura. Moxie. Straight bulldog,” one tweet from Maybin read. “If you think he’s filthy now? Just wait ‘til he’s toeing the rubber in October at Yankee Stadium. I dare you.”
Naturally, this comment was met with plenty of pushback. Maybin would then clarify his statement in another tweet.
“I only said what I said because I know the competitor he is,” he said. “From my experience, guys like him take it to another level when they’re surrounded by history, expectation, and the will to win. He wants those big moments. He thrives in them. A lot of people are mad, and yeah of course I’d love for the Tigers to lock him up for life. But if they fumble this? He wouldn’t just survive in the Bronx. He would welcome the challenge and dominate it.”
Maybin has experience with both parties involved here. He and Skubal shared the diamond as Tigers teammates during the 2020 season, and the season prior in 2019, Maybin played 82 games for the Yankees. As such, Maybin described in one more tweet the difference in standards between the two franchises, and the expectations that come along with it.
“I used to be one of those people who thought it was all the same, but it’s not,” Maybin said. “The amount of pressure and the investment from the fans just feels different. I can’t speak on the organizations I didn’t play for. I’m only speaking from my experience in the ten I did.”
Losing Skubal would be a disastrous reality for the Tigers. The 2024 AL Cy Young Award winner has been even better this season, pitching to a 10-3 record with a 2.19 ERA, and 164 strikeouts in 20 starts. Skubal’s efforts have helped push the Tigers to a 60-43 record as the team is legitimate World Series Contenders.
But for now, Skubal remains a Tiger, and the team hopes it remains that way for a long time.