After months of rumors, the Detroit Tigers finally traded starting pitcher Tarik Skubal late on Saturday night, sending him to the Los Angeles Dodgers. In exchange for Skubal, the Dodgers sent a trio of prospects the other way, with the Tigers acquiring outfielder Zyhir Hope and right-handed pitchers River Ryan and Brady Smith.
While Skubal is due for a new contract after this season, the fact that he is fresh off back-to-back American League Cy Young Awards made it seem like he would be dealt for a massive haul. Instead, the return wasn’t up to par in the eyes of many folks, with one rival executive bashing the team for pulling the trigger on this trade.
Rival Executive on Tigers’ Tarik Skubal Trade — ‘They Got Bupkis’
The Tigers were backed into a corner regarding their decision to trade Skubal. Over the past year, the front office tried (and failed) to negotiate a long-term contract extension with Skubal, leading to all the trade rumors that surrounded him. Ideally, the team wouldn’t have had to trade Skubal, but the prospect of losing him for nothing in free agency forced the front office’s hand.
It would have been one thing if Detroit was actually competing for a championship this season, but it has just a 53-58 record heading into play on Sunday. That provided only more justification for the decision to trade Skubal, assuming it could get a massive haul in exchange for his services. And yet, the return didn’t exactly wow fans.
Hope, Ryan, and White could all become stars, but of this group, Hope is really the only can’t-miss prospect. Considering how good Skubal has been, getting such a light return has left a lot of folks scratching their heads, including people across the league. As one rival executive put it, Detroit got nothing in exchange for one of the best players in all of baseball.
“‘They got bupkis.’ — one rival exec on Tigers’ return for 2-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal,” Jon Heyman of The New York Post wrote in a post on X. “Baseball people do like OF Zyhir Hope who’s seen as a future multiple MLB All-Star, but some say the package is light for Skubal ‘a top two player in baseball.’ One rival says if that’s the deal, call around and ask anyone to beat it. ‘That’s a deal you can do Monday morning.’”
Tigers Misplayed Their Hand with Tarik Skubal
GettyDETROIT, MI – JULY 29: Tarik Skubal #29 of the Detroit Tigers acknowledges the fans after recording his 1,000th strikeout during the first inning of a game against the Baltimore Orioles at Comerica Park on July 29, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)
The Tigers aren’t exactly a big-market team, but anytime you have a player of Skubal’s caliber, you almost have to give him what he wants. Detroit’s front office didn’t do that, and it led to this disappointing trade. Not only is the prospect of losing arguably the best pitcher in baseball frustrating, but again, the return doesn’t appear to be all that great.
Entering the year, there was reason to believe the Tigers could be a World Series contender. Now, they are heading for a lost season, and they don’t have their best player at their disposal anymore. It’s tough to know where Detroit will go from here, but it’s clear the future is not nearly as bright as it once was ahead of the start of the campaign.
Rival Executive Bashes Tigers’ Tarik Skubal Trade Return