LOS ANGELES — They didn’t need him. But they wanted him. So they got him.
The two-time-defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers late Saturday reached agreement on a trade with the Detroit Tigers that will add two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal to their rotation.
The deal had not been confirmed by either team. But multiple reports have the Dodgers sending the Tigers a package of three prospects — Triple-A right-hander River Ryan, Double-A outfielder Zyhir Hope and Class A right-hander Brady Smith.
Initial reports had right-hander Emmet Sheehan being part of the deal. But Sheehan was at his locker in the Dodgers clubhouse after Saturday’s game against the Boston Red Sox, and manager Dave Roberts said Sheehan was still expected to start Sunday.
If it is Ryan, Hope and Smith, the Tigers are receiving three well-regarded prospects. Ryan is big-league ready — though he is on the injured list in Triple A for the second time with a hamstring injury.
But the Dodgers acquired Skubal without disturbing their big-league roster or giving up their top position-player prospect — Double-A outfielder Josue De Paula — or the pitching prospect unseating Ryan at the top of some rankings of the Dodgers system — Double-A right-hander Christian Zazueta.
“Wild. Absolutely wild. I can’t believe that,” Dodgers veteran Alex Vesia said, digesting the news in the postgame locker room — after his mother broke it.
“My mom texted me. She was like, ‘I think you’ve got a new teammate.’ My mom knows before I do.”
In Skubal, the Dodgers add the top left-hander in the game to an already-strong rotation led by Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Skubal also gives them insurance if Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow or Shohei Ohtani is unavailable to pitch in October.
“I was hearing some rumors about that,” Yamamoto said through his interpreter. “But then it actually happened and I’m pretty surprised.”
Tigers starter Tarik Skubal delivers against the Orioles in the seventh inning Wednesday, July 29, 2026, in Detroit. (Paul Sancya/AP)
Skubal, 29, has won back-to-back American League Cy Young Awards, going 18-4 with a 2.39 ERA in 2024 and 13-6 with a 2.21 ERA in 2025. He also has proved to be an excellent postseason performer with the Tigers the past two falls. In six postseason starts, he has a 2.04 ERA and 0.73 WHIP while striking out 12.7 batters per nine innings.
This season, he is 7-5 with a 2.79 ERA in 16 starts. He was out of action for less than six weeks after undergoing surgery at the end of April to remove loose bodies from his elbow. Using a new procedure — the less-invasive ‘NanoNeedle’ (or SkubalScope) — Skubal was able to return quicker, He went 4-3 with a 2.87 ERA in nine starts after returning for a Tigers team that was unable to pull itself back into contention and justify keeping Skubal, who will be a free agent after the season.
The Dodgers will likely take on the remainder of Skubal’s salary this season (about $9 million). The potential lockout could complicate matters, but Skubal’s agent, Scott Boras, is certain to seek the largest contract ever given to a pitcher with $400 million the target.