Dodgers deliver blockbuster, set to acquire Skubal from Tigers (source)

LOS ANGELES -- The price tag was high. But for the back-to-back champion Dodgers, no cost is too steep with a three-peat bid in play.

The Dodgers are in agreement on a deal to acquire two-time AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal from the Tigers in a blockbuster ahead of Monday's Trade Deadline, sources told MLB.com on Saturday night. The teams have yet to confirm the deal.

In return for Skubal, who will be a free agent after this season, the Dodgers are sending a trio of prospects to Detroit. Two of them are ranked on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 list: outfielder Zyhir Hope (No. 25) and right-hander River Ryan (No. 68). Right-hander Brady Smith, who was L.A.'s No. 17 prospect before the trade, rounds out the package.

Skubal is the first reigning Cy Young Award winner to be traded in-season since Justin Verlander in 2023, and the sixth overall.

The rest of the list:

2023: Justin Verlander (NYM to HOU)
2009: Cliff Lee (CLE to PHI)
2008: CC Sabathia (CLE to MIL)
1995: David Cone (TOR to NYY) (traded KC to TOR offseason he won)
1989: Frank Viola (MIN to NYM)

"There just aren't that many star-level players in the game, and any time one is available, we're always going to participate in those conversations," president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told reporters earlier in the week. "We've traded a lot of really talented young players, but we're able to be in those conversations because of the incredible work by our scouts, our front office and our player development group that has our farm system in such a strong spot to be able to talk to any team basically about any player."

TRADE DETAILS
Dodgers receive: LHP Tarik Skubal
Tigers receive: Zyhir Hope (LAD No. 5 prospect, MLB No. 25), RHP River Ryan (LAD No. 7, MLB No. 68) and RHP Brady Smith (LAD No. 17)

While parting with an MLB-ready rotation piece in Ryan (who is currently on the Triple-A IL with a strained right hamstring) and a highly regarded outfield prospect in Hope is a big price for the Dodgers to pay, they managed to acquire the biggest star available ahead of the Deadline without parting with any players from their active roster.

Starter Emmet Sheehan's name also surfaced in rumored trade packages for Skubal, but the 26-year-old right-hander is not part of the deal and is scheduled to start for the Dodgers on Sunday.

By acquiring Skubal, the Dodgers add another ace to an already stacked rotation that also figures to get back left-hander Blake Snell (surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow) and right-hander Tyler Glasnow (lower back spasms) from the injured list in the next month. They addressed the uncertainty surrounding Shohei Ohtani's status as a pitcher while he takes time away from the mound in order to allow his nagging left knee to heal.

L.A. has also ensured that in its quest to win back-to-back-to-back World Series, Skubal will not stand in the way.

Skubal has gone 7-5 with a 2.79 ERA in 16 starts for the Tigers this season. He spent most of the offseason on the Hot Stove trade rumor mill coming off back-to-back Cy Young Awards, the first consecutive winner on the American League side since Pedro Martinez in 1999-2000. Skubal set an arbitration record with a $32 million ruling in February, but the Tigers held onto him.

The Tigers' struggles through May built anticipation that Skubal would be on the trade market heading into the Deadline. Part of Detroit's struggles came with Skubal sidelined by a loose body floating in his left elbow. What would've normally been a 6-8 week absence following arthroscopic surgery lasted less than six weeks thanks to a relatively new Nanoscope procedure involving a microscopic instrument and minimal invasion to surrounding muscles and tissue.

Skubal returned in mid-June, had some mixed results in his first few starts, but ultimately regained his top form, even as trade rumors percolated around him. He tossed seven scoreless innings with nine strikeouts against the Angels on July 18, then posted a season-high 12 strikeouts over 7 1/3 innings against the Royals on July 24. His fastball has held steady in the upper 90s in recent starts, while his changeup is as nasty as ever.

Earlier on Saturday, there were rumblings that the Dodgers could be gearing up to make a deal when Hope was a late scratch from the Double-A Tulsa lineup alongside fellow outfield prospect Kendall George. Hope slashed .293/.369/.530 with 23 homers and 87 RBIs in his first full season at Double-A.

Ryan got his first taste of big league action in 2024, posting a 1.33 ERA across four starts, but has not been back in the Majors since due to injuries. He missed all of 2025 due to Tommy John surgery and has been sidelined twice with the same hamstring issue in '26.

Smith, who was L.A.'s third-round Draft pick in 2023, reached High-A Great Lakes this year. Between there and Single-A Ontario, Smith has struck out 113 against 30 walks and posted a 4.36 ERA in 74 1/3 innings.

In the days leading up to the Trade Deadline, the Dodgers maintained that they had no pressing need to fill. But they went out and got the best player on the market anyway, a mentality that has defined an era where L.A. has won three championships in six years.

With Skubal in hand, the Dodgers' path to a three-peat would appear that much clearer.