The Los Angeles Dodgers pulled off the expected but a stunner nonetheless late Saturday night by reaching an agreement to acquire Tarik Skubal.
In a deal that was made official Sunday morning, the Dodgers traded River Ryan, Zyhir Hope and Brady Smith to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for the reigning two-time American League Cy Young Award winner.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s reaction to Tarik Skubal trade
Reports of Skubal being traded to the Dodgers surfaced shortly after their second consecutive loss to the Boston Red Sox. A majority of the players had already left the clubhouse, but Yoshinobu Yamamoto was still due to speak with media.
“I was hearing some rumors about that and then it actually happened. Very surprised,” Yamamoto said through his interpreter when asked for thoughts of the Skubal trade.
Yamamoto’s comments came after he allowed three runs over eight innings. He allowed two solo home runs to Ceddanne Rafaela. The loss snapped a modest streak of back-to-back wins for the right-hander.
Why the Dodgers traded for Tarik Skubal
Even with Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow working toward respective returns this season, the Dodgers rotation is not without some uncertainty as October looms. Specifically with Shohei Ohtani’s ailing left knee that has prevented him from pitching since July 3 and resulted in not being in the lineup on July 30.
Thus, a Skubal trade arguably became somewhat of a need for the Dodgers. Optimism aside, there is still the reality of Snell needing to prove effective upon returning from surgery to remove loose bodies from his left elbow. Glasnow is also trying to make his way back to the mound after an extended absence.
And with Ohtani, there is hardly a guarantee of pitching in the postseason even if that is the message the Dodgers continue to publicly share.
Now with Skubal in the fold, he can pair with Yamamoto in leading the rotation. That theoretically leaves the Dodgers in position to not have to rely so heavily on best-case scenarios panning out with each of Snell, Glasnow and Ohtani.
One notable caveat, of course, is that Skubal is due to become a free agent after the 2026 season. As a client of mega agent Scott Boras, he doesn’t appear likely to sign an extension prior to that point. Then there is the added wild card of uncertainty with the economic landscape that will come with a new collective bargaining agreement.
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