The best pitcher in baseball no longer belongs to the Tigers.
The Tigers have traded Tarik Skubal to the Dodgers for a trio of prospects headlined by outfielder Zyhir Hope. Detroit is cashing in on Skubal's value before he departs for a massive payday this winter -- quite possibly with his new team. The two-time defending AL Cy Young winner goes to the two-time defending World Series champs, who are loading up for a three-peat.
The Tigers also acquired 28-year-old pitcher River Ryan, who could step into their rotation this season, and 21-year-old pitcher Brady Smith.
The lefty-hitting Hope is the jewel of Detroit's return, the No. 25-ranked prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline. He's a highly athletic position player with power and speed who could impact the Tigers' roster in the near future. He's batting .293 with 23 homers and an .899 OPS this season in Double-A.
The Dodgers have four position players ranked ahead of Hope in their incredibly deep farm system, but he's a strong headliner in a package for a rental.
Ryan is a hard-throwing right-hander who shined in his first and only stint in the majors in 2024, posting a 1.33 ERA in four starts before blowing out his elbow and undergoing Tommy John. He missed all of last year and has been hampered this year by hamstring issues. He has a 4.46 ERA in eight starts in Triple-A and hasn't pitched since late June, but should be back soon.
He "had the most electric stuff in the (Dodgers') system before he got hurt," per MLB Pipeline.
Ryan could aid Detroit's playoff push down the stretch. Despite trading Skubal, the Tigers are just 2.5 games back in the wild card race, with one of the best records in the majors since the start of June. At the same time, they have five teams to jump. They are a flawed club, starting in the bullpen, in a deeply flawed American League, which explains their decision to trade Skubal while they still could.
Smith is another high-velo, high-upside right-hander who underwent Tommy John in 2024. He's in his first full professional season, with a 4.36 ERA in 21 starts between Low-A and High-A. That includes 113 strikeouts in 74 1/3 innings.
