The Los Angeles Dodgers moved on from three of their top 20 prospects, including a pair of MLB's top 100, to acquire Tarik Skubal.
The Los Angeles Dodgers were long in the driver's seat for Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, and they managed to pull off a deal late on Saturday, Aug. 1.
It took three prospects to get things done, including MLB's No. 25 overall prospect in outfielder Zyhir Hope.
Hope was the Dodgers No. 5 overall prospect, so that shows just how stacked the top four is for Los Angeles's farm system.
Fellow outfielders Josue De Paula, Mike Sirota, and Eduardo Quintero didn't have to go anywhere. Instead, LA traded a pair of right-handed pitchers, No. 7 River Ryan and No. 17 Brady Smith.
When looking at MLB's top 100, Ryan comes in at No. 68 and Smith is unranked.
Dodgers won in a landslide
It's easy for Dodgers fans to think so, but this team didn't have to overpay at all. Detroit's asking price to the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays was far higher, for whatever reason, so LA was able to come in at the last minute and make a deal.
If you take a step back to look at a guy like Ryan, this is someone who could become a problem in the Tigers organization. He's already 27 years old, but he has the skills to succeed, it was just a matter of him being stuck behind one of the most loaded starting rotations the league has ever seen.
Of the three prospects the Dodgers moved on from, Ryan was the only one with a 2026 ETA. Hope shouldn't be too far behind at 2027, and they pulled him from his scheduled Double-A appearance knowing a deal was likely to be made.
Hope seems to be the real deal, but again, where is there room for him on this roster? Not only that, but the Dodgers seem to have not one, not two, but potentially three better versions of him with De Paula, Sirota, and Quintero.
De Paula and Sirota both have 2027 ETA's, so they're in the same boat as Hope. LA didn't have to make any major changes in terms of their outfield prospects, so including Hope was a massive win.
Finally, Smith as included with his 2029 ETA. The 21-year-old was drafted No. 95 overall by the Dodgers back in 2023.
When looking at his numbers this season, they're not the best. In 21 starts he sports an 0-7 record with a 4.36 ERA. Smith has produced these numbers at High-A, so he's a pitcher that may not make an appearance in Detroit for years if he keeps up at this rate.
