Tigers rumors: How Tarik Skubal surgery impacts free agency, comes with caveats

The Detroit Tigers placed Tarik Skubal on the 15-day IL on Monday due to loose bodies in his left elbow. It’s a situation that is forcing the 29-year-old ace to undergo surgery. While Skubal will have to bounce back from the surgery, rumors are suggesting that this injury could impact free agency.

While Skubal was initially believed to be in line for the biggest payday for a pitcher in league history next offseason, the injury in his left elbow certainly could change things, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. However, an unnamed National League executive claimed it all depends on whether or not the seven-year veteran pitches again this season.

“It depends on if he comes back and pitches,” said an NL executive about Skubal. “And pitches effectively.”

The ability to bounce back at some point this season and play well without any injury concerns seems to be the deciding factor in how the free-agent period will play out for Tarik Skubal. We’ve seen in recent years how a top pitcher suffers a season-ending injury in the final year of his contract, just to end up signing a mediocre deal at best in free agency.

Feinsand offered three examples in his column, naming Shane Bieber, Josh Donaldson, and Noah Syndergaard as pitchers who had been playing well, but injuries altered their initial projected salaries in their free agent years. Each of those three, who played incredibly well before getting hurt, ended up signing one-year contracts the following year after an injury.

The key difference, however, is that Tarik Skubal still has a chance to return to the mound this season. The two-time Cy Young Award winner could be back in the Tigers’ rotation by August or September, just before the start of the playoffs. That’s something that neither Bieber, Donaldson, nor Syndergaard had the chance to do with their injuries.

Skubal was on pace for another monster campaign before suffering the injury. In 43.1 innings pitched, the Tigers’ ace owned a 2.70 ERA and 0.946 WHIP while totaling 45 strikeouts.

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