Most MLB team owners would gladly pay a premium to keep a talent like Tarik Skubal on their roster. But in Detroit, owner Chris Ilitch seems to be leaving that call largely in the hands of president of baseball operations Scott Harris. Ilitch hasn’t said much about the situation, but the little he has said is now being viewed in a negative light.

“There’s no way that the owner said that he’s going to wait to see whether Scott Harris evaluates that we would be a better team with Tarik Skubal.” David Samson on Nothing Personal with David Samson. “I’m going to wait to see what my GM says about whether or not we are in a position to make a compelling offer to keep Tarik Skubal.”

Before Tarik Skubal won his arbitration case, the Detroit Tigers had hoped to keep the two-time reigning AL Cy Young winner’s salary closer to $19 million. Instead, Skubal secured a $32 million deal, which could add further strain to Detroit’s payroll, especially after the team brought in pitchers like Framber Valdez and Justin Verlander.

Verlander signed a one-year contract worth $13 million, while Valdez agreed to a three-year deal valued at $115 million. It adds significant commitments to the Tigers’ payroll moving forward.

But letting Skubal walk really isn’t an option for them.

His numbers have been phenomenal at the Tigers these past two seasons. He logged 195 1/3 innings in 31 starts, registering an ERA of 2.21 with 241 strikeouts in 2025. He dominated the 2024 season, recording 18-4 with a 2.39 ERA and 228 strikeouts.

If Skubal continues at the same pace, his value will potentially skyrocket during free agency. Without a salary cap, Skubal’s addition to the roster will push the Tigers’ payroll above MLB’s luxury threshold. But the Tigers finding a replacement for an ace like Skubal won’t be easy.

In fact, in his show, Samson proposes a hypothetical future scenario where Tarik Skubal does not sign with the Tigers.

“And then the question comes, ‘What happened?’ And Scott Harris will look into the camera, and he will say, ‘I evaluated the situation, and I decided to advise Chris Ilitch that my evaluation states that we should not have Tarik Skubal on our team. It defies logic,” Samson remarked.

The ex-Miami Marlins president further emphasized that owners and top officials do get involved when it comes to signing ‘the top of the market’ free agents. All is not left up to the general managers.

One such instance was Bryce Harper agreeing to a 13-year, $330 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2019. Managing partner John Middleton reportedly flew out to Las Vegas to meet with Harper and his agent, Scott Boras, to personally negotiate the deal.

Hence, Ilitch’s vague answer and indirect approach triggered debates and trade rumors about Skubal.

What did Ilitch actually say about Scott Harris?

With Tarik Skubal’s free agency looming, The Athletic asked Ilitch whether the Tigers are thinking of a contract extension before he enters free agency this winter. Ilitch did not provide much insight and basically shrugged off any responsibility.

Ilitch told The Athletic, “I would say Scott Harris is always looking to make smart baseball decisions. Whether it’s acquiring players or investing in infrastructure.”

“I hope it’s clear I want to support our team to make sure that we are a championship-caliber organization. So, let’s let Scott evaluate and decide what he’d like to do, but I think I’m going to do everything I can to continue to support our team and make sure we’re a championship-type club. So, let’s see how it all plays out,” he added.

Though Ilitch emphasized building a championship-caliber organization, whether Skubal is pivotal to his aim remained unclear. However, as much as Ilitch did not want to, he must take part in the Skubal conversation when the time comes.

With no reports of possible extension talks between the ace and the franchise, if Detroit wants to re-sign Skubal in free agency, they would have to sign him to a high AAV contract. To agree upon such a deal, Ilitch’s approval is mandatory.

Skubal, who is a part of Team USA in the WBC, displayed his commitment to the Tigers by deciding not to pitch in more than one pool play game. Skubal will pitch against Team Great Britain on Saturday.