Tarik Skubal just emphatically put ball in Tigers' court with comments on future

Tarik Skubal is officially a two-time Cy Young winner, and the first AL pitcher to win the award in back-to-back seasons since Hall of Famer Pedro Martínez did it in 1999 and 2000.

We all saw it coming, but that didn't make the moment any less sweet. Skubal was at GM Meetings in Las Vegas and surrounded by his family when he got the news. Dillon Dingler and Jake Rogers recorded congratulatory messages that definitely made fans cry. "You mean a lot to this team. You mean a lot to me." I mean, come on.

It confirmed what Tigers fans already know: Skubal is the best pitcher in baseball.

Fans are already desperate to see the Tigers extend him, but that only intensified after Wednesday night's announcement. Skubal himself made fans want to run through a wall when he said, "I've given everything I have to this organization. I want to be a Tiger for a very long time. ... I love Detroit. Hopefully, I'm here. That's where I'm at with all of that."

Jeff Passan already said something to that effect, which was heartening, but it's another thing to hear it directly from the man himself.

Tarik Skubal basically just confirmed that he wants a contract extension with the Tigers

Of course, what both sides want might not align with what's feasible for the team's finances, but if Skubal gets away, the front office is going to have to answer for it until the organization changes ownership groups.

If it comes to that, they might not be the only ones to blame, though. Skubal's agent Scott Boras infamously hates extensions (and deferrals, which very well could play a part in any future Skubal contract with any team), and though there are exceptions to the rule (Jose Altuve is a Boras client), he's going to make it very difficult on the Tigers no matter what Skubal says.

For his part, Boras has already said, "Our point of view is we always listen. We're prepared to listen to about anything that Chris [Ilitch] or really Scott [Harris] has to say. We'll just see how it goes."

Skubal setting the record straight is music to fans' ears, at least. Up until this point, he's kept his cards close to his chest and reiterated that he loves the organization, but he hasn't said anything as conclusive as "I want to be a Tiger for a very long time."

And the feeling is mutual. Fans want him to be a Tiger for life. It's all on the front office.