Dodgers Land Skubal for Three Top-30 Prospects
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- Dodgers are finalizing a trade for two-time AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal from the Tigers for three top-30 prospects, just two days before Monday's MLB trade deadline.
- Tigers receive OF Zyhir Hope, RHP River Ryan, and RHP Brady Smith — with Hope ranked as the Dodgers' fourth-best outfield prospect, not their top outfielder.
- River Ryan is 27 and returning from elbow surgery with a 4.46 ERA at Triple-A Oklahoma City; Brady Smith, 21, is 0-10 with a 4.72 ERA across 30 professional starts.
- The trade grades break down lopsidedly: Dodgers receive an A, Tigers a D, and non-Dodgers fans an F for watching their best potential October nemesis join the league's dominant team.
- Skubal joins a Dodgers rotation already ranked Nos. 2, 4, 5, 7 and 24 by ERA+ (alongside Ohtani, Snell, Yamamoto and Glasnow), making a two-time defending champion roster even more imposing.
- The author notes the Dodgers didn't actually need Skubal — the biggest gain is removing him from opposing October rosters — while Ohtani's knee injury creates potential rotation depth concerns.
Why it matters: The Dodgers, already two-time defending champions and World Series favorites, now employ the sport's best pitcher — joining a rotation ranked Nos. 2, 4, 5, 7 and 24 by ERA+. The Tigers, with multiple teams bidding, couldn't extract LA's top outfield prospect, suggesting limited leverage on a rental ace.
