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The rich get richer, or in the case of the Los Angeles Dodgers trading for Tarik Skubal, the best simply get better.
As first reported by ESPN late Saturday evening, the back-to-back American Cy Young winner with the Detroit Tigers is heading to play for the two-time defending World Series champions in a deal sending three prospects to the Motor City.
The Tigers are shipping Skubal to Los Angeles in exchange for outfielder Zyhir Hope and right-hand relievers Brady Smith and River Ryan. MLB currently ranks the 21-year-old Hope as the No. 25 prospect in baseball.
Tarik Skubal #29 of the Detroit Tigers delivers his 1,000th strikeout pitch against Taylor Ward of the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning at Comerica Park on July 29, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Duane Burleson/Getty Images)
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Skubal, who is set to become a free agent this upcoming offseason, underwent arthroscopic elbow surgery in May after making seven starts for Detroit to begin the campaign. The 29-year-old ultimately missed just six months following the procedure and made his return to the bump in mid-June.
Tarik Skubal #29 of the Detroit Tigers looks on from the pitchers mound during the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Comerica Park on July 29, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. The Orioles defeated the Tigers 10-9 in 12 innings. (Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Skubal, 7-5 as a starter this season, is owed the remainder of his $32 million salary, but will not be eligible to receive a qualifying offer from the Dodgers due to the trade taking place during the season.
With the Dodgers already being the favorite to win what would be a third-straight World Series title this fall, the organization acquiring one of the best arms in baseball doesn’t necessarily add excitement for fans of teams around the league with the postseason fast approaching.
The fact that the Dodgers were the team to land Skubal in exchange for just three prospects – a deal the majority of contenders around the league presumably could have also offered Detroit – is perhaps the most frustrating aspect of the situation for all non-Dodger fans looking on.
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Tarik Skubal #29 of the Detroit Tigers looks on during the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on Wednesday, July 29, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Izzy Rincon/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
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No fanbase in Major League Baseball is more dumbfounded by the move than Detroit fans themselves, with the Tigers sitting just 2.5 games out of the Wild Card in the American League. Meanwhile, the Dodgers have a 10-game lead in the National League West while boasting a 69-42 record.
Skubal made his last start for the Tigers on July 29 and could make his Los Angeles debut in the coming days with the Dodgers playing visitors to the Chicago Cubs for a three-game series beginning on Monday.