00:00Alright Tigers fans, let's break down the Tarek Skubal situation as we head toward spring training
00:06in Lakeland, Florida. Barring a surprise trade, Tarek Skubal will report to camp in a few weeks
00:11and is set to be your opening day starter on March 26th in San Diego. The main conversation
00:16right now isn't about his role, but about his salary for the upcoming season, despite the
00:21ongoing discussions about salary arbitration, where the Tigers and Skubal exchange figures,
00:26the team at 19 million dollars, Skubal at 32 million dollars, a gap of 13 million dollars.
00:34His status remains unchanged. He is a Detroit Tiger, and an arbitration ruling itself is very
00:40unlikely to change that fact. This significant gap in salary proposals doesn't automatically mean a
00:45trade is coming. In fact, as rival executives told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand last week, that very
00:51difference could make a trade more complicated, with teams finalizing their budgets this late in
00:56the offseason. A 13 million dollar uncertainty is not something most clubs prefer. On the flip side,
01:02a potential record arbitration award for a pitcher is also not expected to force the Tigers into a trade
01:08where they'd accept a lesser return. The market for a blockbuster Skubal trade has also narrowed.
01:15Key teams that might have been fits have addressed their rotations elsewhere. The New York Mets traded for
01:20Freddie Peralta, the Boston Red Sox signed Ranger Suarez, and the Texas Rangers traded for Mackenzie Gore,
01:26furthermore, Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations.
01:31Andrew Friedman stated this week they are not looking for more starting pitching.
01:35The list of teams with the interest, resources, and prospect capital to make a compelling offer at this late stage
01:41has dwindled. Looking at history, an arbitration hearing doesn't necessarily hurt a team's chances of securing a player
01:47long-term. Consider the Toronto Blue Jays and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. two years ago, they went to a hearing
01:53with a smaller gap. Guerrero filed at $19.9 million, the team at $18.05 million, with Guerrero's free agency
02:02two years away. The panel sided with Guerrero, awarding a record salary at the time, the Blue Jays' approach
02:08was key. As general manager Ross Atkins explained to reporters, including MLB.com's Keegan Matheson,
02:15they ensured the process remained professional and non-personal, keeping the relationship intact
02:20for the future. The very next winter, they avoided arbitration with a one-year $28.5 million deal,
02:27and just three months later, signed Guerrero to a 14-year $500 million contract extension.
02:34That arbitration case became a distant memory. Yes, the Blue Jays' hearing with Guerrero was a year
02:40earlier in his service time than Scooble's situation now, but both Scooble, who was on the
02:45MLB Players Association's Executive Committee, and the Tigers' front office understand this business and
02:51how to separate it from on-field matters. Is it an ideal process? No, there's a reason the Tigers
02:56avoided arbitration hearings for years. Even with David Price's record $19.75 million salary for a pitcher in
03:042015, but a hearing does not automatically mean a broken relationship or that a player's departure
03:09is imminent. So, what's your level of concern about this process affecting Scooble's long-term future
03:16in Detroit?
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