Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal is reconsidering his plan to leave Team USA during the World Baseball Classic.
Skubal is torn between his commitment to the Tigers and the emotional experience of representing his country.
The two-time Cy Young winner is also weighing the decision ahead of becoming a free agent after the season.
Team USA teammates and officials have expressed their support for Skubal regardless of his final choice.
HOUSTON — Two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, who originally was scheduled to leave Team USA and rejoin his Detroit Tigers teammates in Lakeland, Florida, remained in Houston on Sunday and attended USA’s workout.
He spoke late Saturday night with Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, his agent, Scott Boras, and his family.
‘I don’t think anything has been determined …,’ Hinch told reporters Sunday. ‘He’s incredibly emotional about the experience. It’s a difficult time. It weighs heavily on players because they want to do it all.’
Skubal told FOX reporter Ken Rosenthal after throwing 41 pitches in Saturday’s 9-1 victory over Great Britain during the game that he’s not prepared to give an answer, and he reiterated his dilemma afterward to reporters outside the clubhouse.
‘This is going to be one of the toughest decisions I made in my career,’ Skubal said. ‘I didn’t expect these types of emotions to run through my brain, or my thoughts to differ. I was pretty committed to making a start and getting back to camp. Things have changed, obviously.’
Simply, Skubal didn’t anticipate the flood of emotions being around his USA teammates, the patriotism, and the significance of representing his country.
‘It just changes your perspective a little bit, you know?’ Skubal said. ‘And how proud I am to be an American and go out there and pitch and compete. (Thinking about) the people that make real sacrifices for me to play a kids’ game. …
‘It’s just hard. When you get into these environments, when you get this team, it’s hard to walk away from that.’
Team USA, which has won its first two games in the WBC, is expected to play a quarterfinal game Friday, March 13 at Daikin Park in Houston. If the U.S. wins, it would play in a semifinal game either Sunday, March 15 or Monday, March 16. The championship game is scheduled for Tuesday, March 17.
It’s possible that Skubal could return to Tigers camp and pitch Thursday, March 12 against the New York Yankees in Lakeland, and then wait and see if he’d be needed to pitch in the WBC championship game.
Skubal said players have been supportive of him, whatever he chooses, completely understanding his predicament. He not only wants to be on regular rest and start the Tigers’ season-opener in San Diego on March 26, but he’s a free agent after the season, and in line to receive a contract in excess of $400 million, the largest contract by a starting pitcher in history.
‘The guys have been cool about it,’ Skubal said earlier in the week, ‘but I mean, obviously, like publicly, it’s a little bit different perception. But I think they understand what it means for me to be here. Obviously, I want to be in the room, you know, and that’s cool for them to even take that aside and be like, it’s awesome that you’re here.’
Whatever his decision, Team USA officials insist they understand, and he has the full support of his USA teammates.
‘He’s got the two Cy Young Awards, but this guy’s about to make half a billion dollars here in the next offseason,’ Yankees three-time MVP Aaron Judge said. ‘So, for him to put it all on the line for his country, and come out here and show up for us. … You know, maybe it is just one game, but you know there’s a risk with everything you do, and for him to take that risk and come out here and be with us, the boys love it.’
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