Detroit Tigers Shock Fans: Greene & Torkelson Ink 2026 Deals While Skubal Waits – What Happens Next?

DETROIT – The Detroit Tigers cleared most of their offseason bookkeeping by inking 10 of their 11 arbitration-eligible players for 2026, but a looming showdown with ace left-hander Tarik Skubal now dominates the winter narrative. Club officials announced one-year agreements with outfielder Riley Greene ($5 million), first baseman Spencer Torkelson ($4.075 million), right-hander Casey Mize ($6.15 million), utility sparkplug Zach McKinstry ($4.2 million), closer Will Vest ($3.95 million), slugger Kerry Carpenter ($3.275 million) and left-hander Tyler Holton ($1.575 million). Earlier in November, Detroit also settled with Matt Vierling, Jake Rogers and Beau Brieske, pushing the club’s guaranteed 2026 arbitration bill to roughly $35.7 million. The lone holdout is Skubal, the two-time reigning AL Cy Young winner, whose camp filed at a record-seeking $32 million while Detroit countered at $19 million. If no multiyear pact materializes, an arbitration panel will choose one figure in a hearing slated for late January. Skubal’s ask would shatter the all-time arbitration record for a pitcher (David Price, $19.75 million in 2015) and eclipse Juan Soto’s overall high-water mark of $31 million set in 2024. Greene and Torkelson, both entering their first arbitration cycles, headline the settled group after career-best seasons. Greene, 25, followed a 36-homer breakout with a second straight All-Star appearance, while Torkelson matched his 31-homer output and trimmed his strikeout rate. Detroit now controls the pair through 2028, offering welcome lineup stability as president of baseball operations Scott Harris continues a measured build. Mize’s $6.15 million deal keeps the former No. 1 overall pick on track for free agency after 2026, the same timeline that magnifies Skubal’s negotiations. Vest’s raise reflects a 23-save emergence that solidified the back end of an improving bullpen, and McKinstry cashed in on his first All-Star selection after logging innings at six positions. Financially, the Tigers’ 2026 payroll projects to sit near $140 million, comfortably below owner Chris Ilitch’s stated threshold, leaving room for a potential long-term Skubal extension or late-winter free-agent add. Industry sources believe Detroit would entertain a deal in the $200-plus million range for the 29-year-old lefty, but agent Scott Boras is expected to push negotiations toward the open market. What’s next • Arbitration figures become public Jan. 12; the hearing window opens Jan. 29. • If Skubal wins, Detroit’s arbitration class could jump to $54.7 million; a Tigers victory would keep it around $41.7 million. • Spring training opens Feb. 14 in Lakeland, where Skubal would report regardless of the outcome. Bottom line By locking in its young core and confronting Skubal’s historic case head-on, Detroit signaled both fiscal discipline and competitive ambition. Whether that balance ends in a record salary, a multiyear commitment or a 2027 bidding war will shape the franchise’s trajectory well beyond the 2026 season.