Dodgers trade for Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal from Tigers

Los Angeles Dodgers have completed a trade for left-handed starter Tarik Skubal, the back-to-back American League Cy Young Award winner, from the Detroit Tigers, according to ESPN. In exchange, Detroit will receive outfielder Zyhir Hope, along with right-handers River Ryan and Brady Smith.

Skubal, 29, is entering free agency after the season and missed time earlier this year following arthroscopic elbow surgery. When healthy, he posted a 2.30 ERA across 62 starts in the 2024-2025 seasons and accumulated a 13.1 WAR. The Dodgers will assume the remaining portion of his $32 million salary for the current season, but the mid-season trade makes him ineligible for a qualifying offer from Los Angeles.

The move adds Skubal to a rotation already dealing with injuries to Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell and Gavin Stone. The Dodgers intend to pair him with Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the rotation as they pursue a third consecutive World Series title. Skubal has six career playoff starts with a 2.04 ERA.

Detroit’s return package is led by 21-year-old outfielder Zyhir Hope, who was ranked the No. 36 prospect in baseball by CBS Sports before the season. Hope has posted a .293/.369/.530 slash line with 23 home runs and 18 steals in Double-A Tulsa. Right-hander River Ryan, 27, made four starts for Los Angeles in 2024 and eight starts in Triple-A this season after returning from Tommy John surgery. High-A pitcher Brady Smith, 21, recorded a 4.36 ERA with 113 strikeouts in 21 starts.

"The decision to trade Skubal was driven by the need to get value before he reaches free agency," said Scott Harris, Detroit’s lead decision-maker.

"Adding Skubal gives us another ace-level arm to compete for a championship," said Andrew Friedman, Dodgers’ chief executive.

The trade marks the first time a pitcher has been dealt in the offseason or season following a Cy Young win since R.A. Dickey in 2012.