The Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB) have stated that trading Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal to the Los Angeles (LA) Dodgers was an unavoidable move.
The most significant deal in the MLB trade market, which closed on Tuesday, was undoubtedly Skubal’s transfer.
Detroit placed Skubal, who will become a free agent after this season, on the trading block and executed a 1-for-3 trade with the Dodgers, who were in need of an ace to pursue their third consecutive World Series title.
In exchange for Skubal, the Tigers received three promising prospects: pitchers River Ryan and Brady Smith, along with outfielder Zyhir Hope.
Skubal, who made his MLB debut in 2020, has emerged as one of the league’s elite pitchers, clinching the American League Cy Young Award in both 2024 and 2025.
Despite undergoing elbow surgery this season, he has demonstrated his resilience with a 7-5 record and an impressive 2.79 earned run average (ERA) over 16 starts.
Currently, Detroit holds a 54-58 record, locked in a tight race in the American League Central with the Chicago White Sox (59-52), Cleveland Guardians (57-56), and Minnesota Twins (56-57).
With only a 2.5-game deficit in the wild card race, the Tigers could have considered retaining Skubal for a postseason push.
However, Scott Harris, the Tigers’ president of baseball operations, emphasized that ignoring trade offers for Skubal, who drew interest from numerous MLB teams including the Dodgers, would have been irresponsible given his market value.
Realistically, Skubal was an uncatchable fish for Detroit. Represented by super-agent Scott Boras, Skubal is expected to seek a maximum contract in free agency. The Tigers had previously offered him a long-term deal, which he declined.
Harris stated that free agency is Skubal’s right, and it shouldn’t complain or criticize that decision.
Some local analysts have criticized the return for Skubal, suggesting that Detroit should have held out until the trade deadline to secure a better package from another team.
Harris countered this notion, saying that it approached this negotiation thoroughly prepared. While he understands the argument for waiting until the deadline to maximize return, negotiations for elite players like Skubal are different from those involving typical players.
He added that there was no need to prolong the Skubal negotiations. Each team aggressively presented their best offers, and it was clear everyone was pushing their limits. The idea that waiting another day or two would have yielded significantly more is unrealistic. That’s not how these high-stakes negotiations work.
Harris also expressed optimism about the potential of Ryan, Smith, and Hope, the prospects acquired in the trade. He concluded by saying that it believes these young players will make a positive impact on the organization moving forward.
