Backpack and a bottle: Tarik Skubal's gifts to Detroit Tigers rookie Troy Melton
Inside the box?
A $3,000 backpack.
It was a veteran taking care of a rookie.
The Louis Vuitton transaction occurred Friday, Aug. 9, just a few hours before Skubal — the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner — led the Tigers into the first of three games in the series against the Los Angeles Angels at Comerica Park.
"It was the spur of the moment," said Skubal, who has pitched for the Tigers since 2020. "It wasn't planned. I saw the backpack he was wearing, and I wasn't a fan of it, so I told him he had until the end of the day to pick one out, and he did. I took care of him."
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It's the first backpack Skubal has gifted to a younger player.
"I guess people took care of him before, so he's taking care of me now," Melton said. "That's way above my pay grade. I'm really happy with that. I appreciate it."
When Skubal made his MLB debut in 2020, veteran left-hander Matthew Boyd bought him his first suit — the same one he wore to the 2024 All-Star Game. Skubal didn't buy a second suit until he needed another one for the 2025 All-Star Game.
In 2022, veteran left-hander Eduardo Rodríguez gifted Skubal — in his third MLB season at the time — a Louis Vuitton backpack and sunglasses. Rodríguez also encouraged all the starters to watch bullpen sessions together.
The backpack tradition started with Rodríguez.
"Suits aren't a thing anymore," Skubal said. "That used to be a thing coming up, and now, we don't wear suits ever. I feel like that's been a tradition of taking care of younger guys on the team with backpacks, rather than suits."
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In 2025, Skubal is one of the veterans in the clubhouse.
He's also one of the highest-paid pitchers.
Skubal is making $10.15 million in 2025, his second year of salary arbitration — ranking second on the Tigers' pitching staff behind Jack Flaherty's $25 million. He projects to earn at least $15 million in 2026, his third and final year of arbitration.
After that, Skubal becomes a free agent and could be the first MLB pitcher to sign a $400 million contract.
"I can afford stuff now," said Skubal, who earns more than $60,000 per game compared to Melton's approximately $4,500. "Not that I couldn't before, but I'm pretty comfortable financially. And I've been around this team for a long time. You just pay it forward. That's what veteran guys do."
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After Skubal took care of Melton off the field, the rookie returned the favor to the veteran on the mound in the fifth inning of Friday's 6-5 win over the Angels.
Skubal failed to complete five innings for the first time in 38 starts.
Melton picked him up.
"Honestly, I didn't even stretch before," said Melton, a starter recently moved to the bullpen. "I was like, 'Oh, Skubal is on the mound. He'll take care of it.' It was the quickest call I've gotten in my career, so I had to get ready, but I was ready for the first pitch."
The Tigers summoned Melton out of the bullpen for a matchup with right-handed hitter Taylor Ward, inheriting a runner on first base with two outs. Had the runner scored, it would've been charged to Skubal.
Melton didn't let that happen.
"He's never had to run in," manager A.J. Hinch said, referencing Melton jogging from the bullpen to the mound during an inning. "He didn't even know when to stop running. Some guys run all the way to the mound. Some guys stop at the dirt."
On his sixth pitch, Melton struck out Ward swinging with a 97.7 mph four-seam fastball to end the fifth inning. He then pitched the sixth, seventh and eighth, limiting the Angels to one run throughout his 3⅓ innings.
Expect Melton to continue pitching in important situations.
"Looking back, I'm really glad he inherited a runner and started out of the stretch," Hinch said. "He came out of it with a punch out. That is a step forward. After that, it's just pitching."
Now Skubal owes Melton another gift, which he can expect in his locker soon.
"I probably owe him a bottle of something really nice," Skubal said.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
Listen to our weekly Tigers show "Days of Roar" every Monday afternoon on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at freep.com/podcasts.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers' Tarik Skubal buys Troy Melton a Louis Vuitton backpack
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