The Los Angeles Dodgers have completed a blockbuster trade, acquiring Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal.
As expected, the Los Angeles Dodgers have completed the biggest trade of the deadline.
In a blockbuster move, the Dodgers acquire the services of Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal in exchange for top outfield prospect Zyhir Hope (Dodgers fifth-ranked prospect/25th in MLB) and right-handers Brady Smith and River Ryan, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Skubal, 29, entered his 2026 campaign coming off his second consecutive Cy Young Award, further solidifying his status as one of the game’s best southpaws. He departed the Tigers after his final start, in which he recorded the 1,000th strikeout of his career in an extra-innings loss to the Baltimore Orioles.
Before his continued success, Skubal hit a bump in the road in May when he underwent arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow. He underwent a Nanoscope procedure — a less invasive cut on his elbow — performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache.
The surgery was an outstanding success, with Skubal up and throwing just a week after surgery.
Since returning from surgery, Skubal has posted an ERA of 2.87 across 53.1 innings thrown between June and July. For his season totals, he has posted a 2.79 ERA in 16 starts.
Hope, 21, is slashing .293/.369/.530 in 94 games in Double-A. He was originally drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 11th round of the 2023 MLB Draft before being traded to Los Angeles in a deal that sent Michael Busch to the Windy City the following year.
The Tigers wanted controllable pitching in exchange for Skubal, and they got that with Ryan. The 28-year-old right-hander has shown flashes of consistency throughout his short stint in his major-league career, but injuries have derailed his time on the mound.
In 2024, he boasted a 1.33 ERA across four major league starts before landing on the Injured List and undergoing Tommy John surgery the following year. Ryan has been out since mid-June with a strained hamstring.
Smith, 21, was drafted by the Dodgers in the 21st round of the 2023 MLB Draft. In 19 starts for High-A Great Lakes, Smith has posted a 3.88 ERA.
With Skubal joining Los Angeles at the first of August, it gives the club an even bigger leap toward a third straight World Series championship. As it stands, Los Angeles holds a comfortable 10-game lead in the National League West.
Skubal will have an immediate impact on the Dodgers' starting rotation. When all is said and done, Los Angeles can trudge through the final act of the 2026 season with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Justin Wrobleski, Roki Sasaki, Blake Snell, and injuries pending for Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani.
All in Dodger Blue.
(This is a breaking news story from Dodgers Roundtable. The story will be updated throughout Saturday night and Sunday morning.)
