Dodgers Acquire Cy Young Winner Tarik Skubal in Blockbuster Trade with Tigers

The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired two-time reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers in a blockbuster trade late Saturday night, ahead of the Major League Baseball trade deadline. In exchange for the 29-year-old left-hander, the Dodgers sent a package of three prospects to Detroit: outfielder Zyhir Hope, right-hander River Ryan, and right-hander Brady Smith. Skubal, a pending free agent, joins a Los Angeles rotation that already features Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Justin Wrobleski, and recovering stars including Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell, and Tyler Glasnow. Prior to the trade, Skubal made 16 starts for the Tigers during the 2026 season, posting a 2.79 ERA with 116 strikeouts and 14 walks over 96.2 innings. Earlier in the year, Skubal spent time on the injured list after discovering loose bodies in his left elbow in late April. He underwent an arthroscopic procedure to remove bone chips and returned to the mound on June 13. Since his return, Skubal recorded a strong stretch of outings, culminating in a start on Wednesday against the Baltimore Orioles where he pitched 6.2 innings, allowing one run with six strikeouts and one walk. The Detroit Tigers selected Skubal in the ninth round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of Seattle University. Over his major league career with Detroit, he developed into one of the sport's premier starting pitchers, capturing consecutive American League Cy Young Awards in 2024 and 2025. During those two dominant seasons, Skubal combined for a 31-10 record, a 2.30 ERA, and 469 strikeouts across 387.3 innings. During the subsequent offseason, Skubal and the Tigers avoided a protracted dispute by heading to an independent arbitration hearing, where an arbitrator awarded the left-hander a $32 million salary for the 2026