Dodgers close to landing Tarik Skubal in blockbuster trade with Tigers: Sources
The back-to-back reigning World Series champions are acquiring the American League’s back-to-back reigning Cy Young Award winner, giving the Los Angeles Dodgers one more elite player in their quest to cement a dynasty.
Tarik Skubal, the most coveted pitcher at this year’s MLB trade deadline, is headed to the Dodgers after they agreed to a trade with the Detroit Tigers on Saturday evening, league sources told The Athletic. In return, the Tigers are set to receive three prospects once the trade is finalized: right-hander River Ryan, right-hander Brady Smith and outfielder Zyhir Hope.
The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal was not official.
Skubal is the back-to-back reigning American League Cy Young Award winner and one of the most fearsome pitchers in the sport. Once a ninth-round pick out of Seattle University, Skubal blossomed from obscurity into stardom over the course of his time with the Tigers. The 29-year-old ace boasts a rare combination of power and command.
Skubal throws an upper-90s fastball that is capable of reaching triple digits. His best pitch is his changeup, an offering that generated a 48.6% whiff rate in 2025. He also throws a sinker, slider and curveball, all of which can be potent pitches when Skubal is on.
Skubal’s season has already been a whirlwind. He set an arbitration record when a panel awarded him $32 million before spring training. In the World Baseball Classic, Skubal was at the center of controversy when he pitched one game for Team USA, then hinted he wanted to keep going, then ultimately chose not to pitch again. Skubal later missed more than a month early this season after a procedure to remove a loose body from his left elbow. The Nanoneedle procedure performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache was the first of its kind on an MLB pitcher and got Skubal back to the field much quicker than the 2-3 month timeline first projected.
Skubal previously had Tommy John surgery in college and underwent a flexor tendon repair in 2022. But since his return midway through the 2023 season, he has been among the most elite pitchers in all of baseball.
The Skubal trade comes in the midst of a disappointing season for the Tigers, who entered Saturday with a 52-58 record. Although the Tigers remain within striking distance of a playoff spot in a weak American League, injuries and underperformance combined to create a circumstance where they arguably had little choice but to trade one of the best pitchers in franchise history.
In Ryan, the Tigers get a major-league ready arm who could backfill Skubal’s rotation spot once the 27-year-old returns from a hamstring injury. In Hope, 21, they get a high-upside outfielder, and in Smith, 21, they get another right-hander with a well-rounded arsenal.
In 2024 and 2025, the Tigers lost in back-to-back American League Division Series Game 5s, both with Skubal on the mound.
Skubal is a free agent after this season and could command a record contract for a starting pitcher. But first, he will look to win a ring with his new team, which has some experience in that department.
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