Tigers fans couldn't be more bored with ESPN's 'bold' offseason prediction for Detroit

It's unclear exactly when the Tigers and Tarik Skubal will have to report to their arbitration hearing, but with less than three weeks before pitchers and catchers have to be in Lakeland, we should be reading about an outcome any day now.

If you need a refresher: the Tigers filed at $19 million to avoid arbitration with Skubal ahead of his last season of team control. Skubal filed at $32 million, which would not only break David Price's $19.75 million record for a pitcher in arbitration, but Juan Soto's $31 million agreement for any player. The $13 million chasm is the largest since the arbitration system was introduced in the 70s.

The Tigers were said to be willing to go into the mid-$20 millions, but Scott Boras may or may not have shut negotiations down entirely. He also may or may not be willing to continue negotiating.

The belief right now is that a hearing is inevitable, which could amount to hurt feelings on both sides. The Tigers have history on their side — players almost never win — but Skubal and Boras have their own tricks up their sleeves.

We've heard it all before. We know it's complicated. It's become the talking point of the Tigers' offseason. So why does ESPN (Jeff Passan) think predicting Skubal will win his arbitration case classifies as a "bold" take?

ESPN's "bold" prediction for the rest of the Tigers' offseason is boring and uninspired

This just reminds Tigers fans that the Skubal drama has completely subsumed Detroit's offseason. Even if they still want to add pitchers (and rumors suggest that they do), they don't know how competitive their offers can be if they're having to figure out how to accommodate Skubal's new salary within their already tight budget.

The Tigers could solve this easily. Chris Ilitch could give them a bigger budget. But because that's clearly not happening anytime soon, everything is at a standstill until we see how this plays out.

Still, Passan couldn't have written that the Tigers will still sign another starter no matter the outcome of the arbitration case? Maybe they actually add a bat? Either of those would've been far more exciting and bolder than what he actually came up with.

We're begging Skubal and the Tigers: just get this done, already. We're sick of hearing about it, we're sure you're sick of dealing with it — let's just get in front of the arbitration panel and put this one to bed. Please?