The Detroit Tigers tendered contracts to 11 arbitration-eligible players for the 2026 season.
The 11 players: left-hander Tarik Skubal, right-hander Casey Mize, catcher Jake Rogers, right-handed reliever Will Vest, utility player Zach McKinstry, outfielder Matt Vierling, left fielder Riley Greene, first baseman Spencer Torkelson, designated hitter Kerry Carpenter, right-handed reliever Beau Brieske and left-handed reliever Tyler Holton.
There was a 5 p.m. deadline Friday, Nov. 21, for arbitration-eligible players to be tendered contracts or non-tendered into free agency.
The Tigers already avoided arbitration with Vierling ($3.255 million), Rogers ($3.05 million) and Brieske ($1.1575 million) by agreeing to pre-tender contract terms for 2026.
Before Friday’s deadline, the Tigers non-tendered infielder Andy Ibáñez after three seasons, sending him into free agency immediately.
The 40-man roster is at 39 players.
The Tigers still need to avoid arbitration with eight of the remaining arbitration-eligible players – Skubal, Mize, Vest, McKinstry, Greene, Torkelson, Carpenter and Holton – by agreeing to salaries for the 2026 season, just like they locked in pre-tender salaries with Vierling, Rogers and Brieske.
Those eight players have until Jan. 8 to negotiate salaries with the Tigers. If the two sides can’t agree, salary figures will be exchanged and an arbitration hearing will be scheduled to determine which side’s number more accurately represents the player’s value.
Players on the 40-man roster with fewer than six years of MLB service time need to be tendered contracts each offseason. A player must have at least three years of service time – or qualify for Super Two status, which right-hander Reese Olson missed by 17 days – to be eligible for salary arbitration.
For the 11 players, the Tigers will pay an estimated $54 million in the 2026 season.
Vierling, Rogers and Brieske signed for a combined $7.4625 million, while the other eight players are projected by MLB Trade Rumors for a total of $46.9 million: Skubal ($17.8 million), Greene ($6.6 million), Mize ($5.4 million), Torkelson ($5.1 million), McKinstry ($3.5 million), Carpenter ($3.5 million), Vest ($3.3 million) and Holton ($1.7 million).
Along with the $70.4 million the Tigers have committed to shortstop Javier Báez ($24 million), second baseman Gleyber Torres ($22.025 million), right-hander Jack Flaherty ($20 million) and infielder Colt Keith ($4.33 million), plus about $15 million for pre-arbitration players, that brings the Tigers’ projected 2026 payroll to nearly $140 million.
Three of the 11 players – Skubal, Mize, Rogers – are in their third and final years as arbitration-eligible players and set to become free agents after the 2026 season. Three players – Vest, McKinstry, Vierling – are scheduled to reach free agency after 2027.
The remaining five players, including Greene and Torkelson, are under team control through the 2028 season.
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Tigers 40-man roster
Pitchers (19): Beau Brieske, Jack Flaherty, Sawyer Gipson-Long, Brenan Hanifee, Tyler Holton, Bailey Horn, Brant Hurter, Jackson Jobe, Chase Lee, Ty Madden, Troy Melton, Jake Miller*, Casey Mize, Keider Montero, Reese Olson, Tarik Skubal, Dylan Smith, Drew Sommers, Will Vest.
Catchers (4): Dillon Dingler, Thayron Liranzo*, Jake Rogers, Eduardo Valencia*.
Infielders (8): Javier Báez, Jace Jung, Colt Keith, Hao-Yu Lee*, Zach McKinstry, Trey Sweeney, Spencer Torkelson, Gleyber Torres.
Outfielders (8): Kerry Carpenter, Trei Cruz*, Riley Greene, Jahmai Jones, Justyn-Henry Malloy, Parker Meadows, Wenceel Pérez, Matt Vierling.
*Yet to make MLB debut.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers tender contracts to 11 arbitration-eligible players for 2026 season
Reporting by Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
