Tigers receive lousy grade for Tarik Skubal trade to Dodgers from ESPN

The Detroit Tigers made a massive decision for the future of the franchise late Saturday night, agreeing to trade Tarik Skubal to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for three prospects.

Detroit's haul for Skubal included outfielder Zyhir Hope, right-handed pitcher River Ryan, and right-handed pitcher Brady Smith. So, how did the Tigers do in their blockbuster Skubal trade with the Dodgers?

Well, unfortunately, Bradford Doolittle of ESPN handed the Tigers a lousy grade for this deal, giving Detroit a weak "D" grade for the three-player package for their Cy Young-winning ace.

Tigers receive lousy 'D' grade from ESPN for Tarik Skubal trade

"Tigers grade: D," Doolittle writes. "Detroit's return in this deal feels like a bad dream. OK, let's calm down..."

That initial reaction from Doolittle tells the whole story. While it might be a bit of an overreaction, the fact that it could even be a thought shows just how shaky this trade is for Detroit.

Zyhir Hope is, fittingly, the biggest reason to have hope that this return would be worth it. He's a 21-year-old outfield prospect with a ton of upside. But, Josue De Paula or Mike Sirota, both outfield prospects, might've been better gets.

The real trouble with this trade, though, comes with the return of Ryan and Smith. For starters, Ryan is about to be 28 years old, and he's a year removed from a serious elbow injury.

Ryan is an old prospect who, while under club control for a while, is a big question mark due to his injury and inconsistencies on the mound.

Smith is 21 years old, but isn't nearly as highly rated a prospect as Hope or even Ryan. He has a 4.72 ERA in his pro career, which doesn't exactly make for an exciting outlook. There's still potential there, but Smith seems to be far from the big leagues at this point.

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Overall, Doolittle sums up this three-player prospect return with a simple, but brutal line: "... but this whole thing is mildly depressing."

Whether it was getting a bit more from the Dodgers in this trade, or trying more seriously to goad the Milwaukee Brewers, Tampa Bay Rays, or some other contender to offer a better prospect package, this return doesn't exactly bring a ton of excitement.

While it's hard to say whether this was the best the Tigers could get for Skubal, who did have mid-season surgery and will be a free agent after 2026 to lower his trade value, it's hard not to feel underwhelmed by this return package.

Hope is a fun prospect to acquire, but Ryan and Smith leave a lot to be desired. If it were Emmet Sheehan instead of Ryan, or even Justin Wrobleski, this deal would've felt a whole lot better. It's just a risky trade, and one that has Doolittle pessimistic.

The Tigers received a "D" grade for their haul in exchange for their beloved franchise ace coming off back-to-back Cy Young seasons. Hopefully, this grade ages poorly with Ryan, Smith, and Hope all instilling hope back into the team in the near future.

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