The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers just over a week ago.
Days after making his first start with the organization, he appeared on Barstool Sports’ “Pardon My Take,” where he spoke about his emotional departure from Detroit.
During that conversation, Skubal, who’s set to become an unrestricted free agent, said he hopes the Tigers are right back in the mix for him this offseason and that he’d love to return. As expected, those comments didn’t sit well with some Dodgers fans who had just watched the team acquire him.
Skubal’s Comments
The back-to-back Cy Young winner said he’d love to play his entire career in Detroit and discussed what could happen this winter as he prepares to become the most notable free agent on the market.
“I would love to play my whole career in Detroit,” Skubal said. “I would love to. And hopefully those negotiations pick back up in November once the playoffs are done. And we’ll see where that goes.
“Hopefully they’re involved with everything; I would love to return. I’ve got nothing but good things to say about the City of Detroit and the manager, the coaching, the staff, the trainers, the teammates; it’s tough.
“And I’m going to try not to cry right now, but I love all those guys. So hopefully they’re involved in November and we’ll see what happens then.”
Freddie Freeman Comes to Skubal’s Defense
According to Dylan Hernandez of the California Post, Dodgers veteran superstar Freddie Freeman, who understands Skubal’s feelings after spending the bulk of his career with the Atlanta Braves, defended his new teammate.
“You’re not just gonna flip a switch and be, like, ‘Oh, I’m great,’” Freeman said.“You have all these friends, all these people you came up with in the minor leagues that are now with you as teammates. You had 15-hour bus rides together. You’re doing all these things together.
“The organization invested in you. You invested in them. You can do everything you can to win a World Series, and it doesn’t happen, and then you get traded. So, you’re going to have emotions.”
Freddie Freeman Comes to Tarik Skubal’s Defense After Controversial Comments