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22 hours ago
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The Tigers entered July clinging to hope that they would be able to keep ace Tarik Skubal through the end of the season, but they couldn't overcome the hole they dug themselves when they started 22-38.
Facing the reality of losing Skubal for nothing in free agency, the Tigers made the inevitable official ahead of the trade deadline, dealing the two-time Cy Young Award winner to the Dodgers in a blockbuster deal.
Before he hits free agency this winter, Skubal will hope to impact the chase for a championship as a frontline starter.
Here are the full details of the Dodgers' trade for Skubal.
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Tarik Skubal trade details
Dodgers receive:
- SP Tarik Skubal
Tigers receive:
- OF Zyhir Hope
- P River Ryan
- P Brady Smith
The Dodgers are sending three prospects to the Tigers in the deal, headlined by outfielder Zyhir Hope. Hope is MLB Pipeline's No. 25 prospect, though he's only ranked as the Dodgers' No. 5 prospect in a loaded system. Ryan is the Dodgers' No. 7 prospect, but he turns 28 later this month.
Skubal is arriving in Los Angeles as a rental, at least for now. Not only did contract talks between Skubal and the Tigers go nowhere, but the two sides filed for salaries $13 million apart during the arbitration process, which made a split inevitable in some eyes.
With that being said, the Dodgers certainly have the resources to make a play to keep him.
After pitching in the postseason in each of the last two years, Skubal will again have the chance to pursue a championship before cashing in on the open market.
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Tarik Skubal contract
Skubal is set to be a free agent after this season. The Tigers ace is making $32 million after the salary arbitration process ruled in his favor over Detroit's significantly lower $19 million offer.
That gap convinced most fans that Skubal was headed elsewhere in free agency in the winter and left the Tigers with a decision make if they weren't going to significantly increase their offer: hold onto Skubal and attempt to make a postseason run before losing him in the winter, or trade him and stock up on assets.
After a dismal start to the season, the Tigers had little choice but to do the latter.
Tarik Skubal stats
| Season | Starts | IP | W-L | ERA | WHIP | K |
| 2020 | 7 | 32.0 | 1-4 | 5.63 | 1.22 | 37 |
| 2021 | 29 | 149.1 | 8-12 | 4.34 | 1.26 | 164 |
| 2022 | 21 | 117.2 | 7-8 | 3.52 | 1.16 | 117 |
| 2023 | 15 | 80.1 | 7-3 | 2.80 | 0.90 | 102 |
| 2022 | 31 | 192.0 | 18-4 | 2.39 | 0.92 | 228 |
| 2025 | 31 | 195.1 | 13-6 | 2.21 | 0.89 | 241 |
| 2026 | 16 | 96.2 | 7-5 | 2.79 | 0.91 | 116 |
| Career | 150 | 863.1 | 61-42 | 3.04 | 1.01 | 1,005 |
It took some time for Skubal to put it all together, but he turned a promising 2023 into pure dominance in 2024 and 2025. Skubal stayed completely healthy in his two Cy Young seasons, posting 18 wins and a 2.39 ERA in 2022 before improving across the board in 2025 with a lower ERA, lower WHIP and more strikeouts.
Tarik Skubal career timeline
- 2020-26: Detroit Tigers
- 2026: Los Angeles Dodgers
Skubal had spent his entire career with the Tigers to this point, even dating back to when he was drafted.
The Diamondbacks originally drafted Skubal in 2017, but he opted to return for his senior season at Seattle University, where he elevated his stock from the 29th round to the ninth round and was selected by the Tigers.
It took only two years for Skubal to reach the major leagues, though he struggled in the shortened 2020 season and battled injuries in 2022 and 2023. After showing flashes of dominance once he got back on the mound in 2023, Skubal put it all together in 2024 and 2025 with brilliant Cy Young-winning seasons.
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