The Detroit Tigers‘ window to win is wide open, largely thanks to presumptive repeat American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.
Yet, Skubal can become a free agent after the 2026 MLB season, and if the Tigers let him get to free agency, former Tigers outfielder Cameron Maybin thinks he knows where Skubal will end up.
Maybin, who did two tours with Detroit over three seasons in his 15-season MLB career, predicted Skubal would sign with the New York Yankees if the Tigers “screw this up.”
Skubal won the pitcher’s Triple Crown in 2024 and is having an even-more dominant season in 2025 for the MLB-leading Tigers. He has 10 wins, a 2.19 ERA and a 164-16 strikeout-to-walk ration in 20 starts.
Letting Skubal walk would be a crime beyond the pale for most fans. But with one more arbitration-eligible season followed by unrestricted free agency, Skubal could command a huge contract.
Could Tarik Skubal Sign With The Yankees?
The Yankees have Gerrit Cole, Max Fried and Carlos Rodon — three ultra-high-cost starting pitchers. But Maybin thinks Skubal would be great in Yankees pinstripes.
“If the Tigers screw this up, thereâs only one place Skubal belongs…..rocking pinstripes in the Bronx!” Maybin shared on X (formerly Twitter). “Aura. Moxie. Straight bulldog. If you think heâs filthy now? Just wait âtil heâs toeing the rubber in October at Yankee Stadium. I dare you.”
Though Skubal is pitching for the oldest American League team, Maybin feels the pressure to win in New York would make the superstar lefty even better.
“I only said what I said because I know the competitor he is,” Maybin said. “From my experience, guys like him take it to another level when theyâre surrounded by history, expectation, and the will to win. He wants those big moments. He thrives in them.”
Though he won the World Series with the Houston Astros in 2017, Maybin felt the excitement of New York as a member of the Yankees in 2019. The Yanks advanced to the ALCS but lost in six games to the Astros.
“The pressure in New York comes from the expectation that every game, every inning, and every at-bat matters,” Maybin shared. “The media scrutiny, the diehard fanbase that lives and breathes baseball, and the franchiseâs history all combine to create a level of intensity thatâs hard to match. Youâre not just playing the game. Youâre carrying the weight of legends who wore the pinstripes before you.”
Will The Tigers Re-Sign Tarik Skubal?
The Tigers are far from a small-market team, since they have shelled out money for free agents in the past. Detroit’s richest contract was a nine-year, $214 million deal for Prince Fielder in 2012, and it locked up Miguel Cabrera for eight years, $248 million just two years later.
So Tigers fans who are understandably angry by Maybin’s out-of-the-blue comments should take heart and feel confident in them re-signing their ace — especially if Detroit wins the World Series for the first time since 1984.
Maybin is also rooting for Skubal to stay with his former team.
“Of course Iâd love for the Tigers to lock him up for life,” Maybin posted. “But if they fumble this? He wouldnât just survive in the Bronx. He would welcome the challenge and dominate it.”
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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