Tigers Pushed To Close Tarik Skubal Deal With Dodgers

New details emerging after the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ blockbuster trade for two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal reveal it was Detroit, not Los Angeles, that pushed to finalize the deal in its closing hours.

Dodgers executives were reportedly wrapping up an internal strategy session Saturday evening when Tigers officials called to say they wanted to close the Skubal trade that night. Los Angeles had taken an unusually thorough approach to deadline preparation this year, leaning more heavily than usual on input from pro scouts and internal evaluators, with much of the front office flying in for in-person meetings that Friday.

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and Tigers general manager Scott Harris reportedly hammered out final terms in the middle of Los Angeles’ game against the Red Sox that night.

Detroit ultimately sent Skubal west for a three-prospect package: outfielder Zyhir Hope and right-handers River Ryan and Brady Smith, all drawn from the Dodgers’ farm system without touching the major league roster.

Notably, the deal was a pure rental — Skubal is set to become a free agent after this season — yet the Tigers reportedly spent little time negotiating with other suitors, including the Tampa Bay Rays, once it became clear the Dodgers’ farm system was the return they wanted.

The Athletic’s reporting indicates Detroit believed Los Angeles simply “had the most to offer” and would move with a level of aggression that other interested clubs weren’t willing to match.

One team notably out of the running: the Milwaukee Brewers, despite fielding a farm system regarded as one of the sport’s best. Milwaukee — enjoying a strong season and eyeing its own playoff push — has historically avoided aggressive rental deals at the deadline, a philosophy that held even with Skubal on the table.

The trade adds another star to an already star-studded Dodgers roster, prompting debate among rival executives and analysts over both the return Detroit accepted and the wisdom of further stacking a Los Angeles team already built for a deep postseason run. Skubal is expected to make his Dodgers debut this week.