Dodgers acquire Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal in deadline trade with Tigers

Los Angeles added back-to-back American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal on Sunday, completing a trade with the Detroit Tigers that sent outfielder Zyhir Hope, right-hander River Ryan and pitcher Brady Smith to Detroit. The move, finalized just before the MLB trade deadline, gives the Dodgers a high-profile starter for the stretch run.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, "There’s nothing that we did that no one else couldn’t have done," after welcoming Skubal in the dugout. Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman explained that the organization was prepared to be aggressive for a single player, noting the value of the prospects they could offer.

Friedman added, "We were of the mind to be aggressive for one player this deadline. Fortunately, we were able to line up." The trade was reportedly the result of several package options the Dodgers evaluated before settling on the Hope-Ryan-Smith combination.

The Tigers, who were also in discussions with other clubs, reportedly felt the Dodgers presented the strongest overall offer. Sources indicated that teams such as the Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees considered Skubal but either lacked sufficient prospects to match Los Angeles or had different roster priorities.

The Dodgers’ extensive scouting, player-development and analytics departments were cited as key factors enabling the deal, according to Friedman, who said the organization’s farm system allows it to absorb such transactions while remaining competitive.