When the Detroit Tigers handed Alex Bregman a $171.5 million offer, they clearly expected a response that matched the magnitude of the contract. But when the former Houston Astros star turned it down, the silence spoke volumes. Enter Tarik Skubal, who wasted no time making his feelings known, offering a rare glimpse into the locker room drama that few fans ever get to see. In the high-stakes world of Major League Baseball, it’s not just the players who have something to say—it’s the ones who are left standing, watching the game unfold.

Now that Alex Bregman has chosen the Boston Red Sox, people are coming forward to make their feelings known. Many have strong opinions about his decision to turn down other teams. And Tarik Skubal was one of the main people who voiced their opinion.

On a podcast appearance with Buster Olney, Skubal expressed what he felt when he saw that Alex Bregman chose Boston, “Woke up the next day and kind of read it on my phone, you know. We were linked to him and I would have loved to have him on our team. I’ve said that before, he’s a great player and a great talent. But he’s not with us now. And that’s kind of how I view it is, you know, we got the guys in the clubhouse that we got and those are the guys that we’re going to go to war with, you know, for the next 162.”

Sounds like he really wanted to play with Bregman in Detroit. But he has also moved on quickly from this. As the 2025 season approaches, the Tigers will need Skubal to be fully focused on the task at hand.

After making it to the postseason but crashing out early, the Tigers saw Bregman as an opportunity to go deep in 2025 and consequently pursued him. But instead of their $171.5 million, Boston’s $120 million was the clearer choice for the former Astros slugger because it was for more years.

While Detroit may have thought they had the perfect pitch, Bregman clearly had other ideas. As for Skubal and the Tigers, they’re moving forward, with or without Bregman, ready to prove that success isn’t measured by one player but by the collective effort of a team that’s hungry for more. After all, 162 games don’t win themselves.

Top Comment by Oscar T

they should have cross Bregman off their list a few months ago – don’t have much use for those playing...more

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Debate

Stay or leave: What’s next for Tarik Skubal and the Tigers beyond 2025?

After a stellar 2024 season, Tarik Skubal has a shiny new one-year, $10.15 million contract for 2025, after which he becomes a free agent. Although he will enter his final arbitration year in 2026, it looks like the Detroit Tigers’ ace might want to stay.

When asked about a potential long-term deal with the Tigers, Skubal’s priorities were clear, “I love playing here, I really enjoy it”. And Detroit, for their part, might not want to miss out on his pitching prowess either.

To add to this, the President of the Detroit Tigers, Scott Harris, also backed him, “Tarik embodies everything we want in a player: talent, work ethic, and leadership.”

With Tarik Skubal’s desire to stay and the team’s glowing endorsements, the clock may be ticking, but it’s only a matter of time before the Tigers realize locking him down long-term is the real play. After all, in a sport where pitching is everything, you don’t let your ace walk away without a fight.