Dodgers Land Skubal in Blockbuster, Tigers' Ace Leaves in Tears
Two-time Cy Young winner heads to L.A. as Detroit rebuilds around three young arms
By Gus "Walk-Off" Fields
Tarik Skubal couldn't get through it without his voice cracking.
On Saturday night, the two-time American League Cy Young Award winner stood before reporters and looked back on nine seasons with the Detroit Tigers, calling the run something he'd "never take for granted." Hours later, it was official: the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers had finalized a trade to acquire Skubal, 29, sending pitching prospect River Ryan, outfielder Zyhir Hope and pitcher Brady Smith back to Detroit, according to sources who spoke with ESPN's Jeff Passan.
For the defending World Series champions, this is about as loud a statement as a trade deadline gets. L.A. already has a loaded rotation and a lineup built to win now; adding a pitcher of Skubal's caliber pushes the Dodgers toward a shot at back-to-back-to-back titles. ESPN's deadline grades gave the Dodgers an A for the move — the kind of grade that comes when a team gets the best player available and still has the farm system to make it work.
What it means for Detroit is murkier. The Tigers spent nearly a decade building around Skubal, only to watch him depart in his prime. In return, they get three young pieces and the uncertain math of rebuilding around promise rather than production.
But Saturday night wasn't about win-loss projections. It was about a player who spent his entire big-league career in one uniform, saying goodbye to it in real time, on camera, unable to keep it together. Trades like this move rosters. Moments like that move something else.
The deal has not been confirmed by either club as of this writing beyond sourcing to ESPN.
— Compiled from reporting by ESPN's Jeff Passan and ESPN staff.
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