Tarik Skubal dominated on the mound for the Tigers yet again Friday night in a decisive Game 5 against the Mariners. Unfortunately for Detroit, it wasn't able to capitalize on the Cy Young Award front-runner's latest impressive start, which is a trend that became all too familiar toward the end of the Tigers' season.
The Tigers went 1-4 over Skubal's final five starts of the year, which includes the regular season and postseason. That poor record is no fault of his own, though, as the big lefthander allowed just six earned runs over 32 2/3 innings pitched in his last five starts. Other than a nine-run outburst in Game 4 against the Mariners to keep their season alive, the Tigers' offense sputtered down the stretch, giving Skubal little run support and leaving his quality starts hanging in the balance once he hands the ball to the bullpen.
Nobody could have expected a 15-inning marathon in the winner-take-all Game 5, which saw a full nine innings after Skubal's night was done. However, the Tigers can only wonder what could have been after they fell in another critical game in which the ace started. Plus, the franchise may have limited opportunities left to capitalize on his dominance.
Detroit's ace remains under team control through the 2026 season. After that, he's slated to become a free agent where he's in line for the richest contract ever for a pitcher. That is, unless the two sides can work out a long-term contract extension in the meantime, which looks less and less likely with Skubal's astronomical value on the open market. After the disappointing end to the Tigers' season, Skubal spoke to his uncertain future and the direction ahead for the franchise, although he left it fairly open for interpretation.
"My job is to play," he said after Game 5 against the Mariners via Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. "That's not my job—to do anything other than play. Those questions should be asked toward the front office and the people that make those decisions, but my job is to play."
He's represented by Scott Boras, who will undoubtedly try to get the best contract for his client who's one of the best pitchers on the planet. And it's a fair assumption that the best contract out there likely isn't from Detroit, which hasn't necessarily been the biggest spenders as of recent. Skubal's goal is to win a World Series, and he may have only one more shot to do so in a Tigers uniform.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Tarik Skubal Played Coy on Uncertain Future Following Tigers' Crushing Loss in ALDS.
