It the most predictable fashion, Tarik Skubal is now a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers. With their postseason hopes fading, the Detroit Tigers moved on from the two-time Cy Young winner in exchange for a trio of prospects: outfielder Zhyir Hope, right-hander River Ryan and right-hander Brady Smith.
Hope and Ryan in particular were well-regarded prospects, but L.A.'s incredible player development program and loaded farm system made this trade easy. It's barely a drop in the bucket. Skubal joins a rotation that, when healthy, also features Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Rōki Sasaki. If the Dodgers want to keep adding ahead of the Aug. 3 MLB trade deadline, Skubal has made these players expendable.
RHP Emmet Sheehan
We all thought Emmet Sheehan would be going to Detroit in the Skubal trade, but the Dodgers finessed River Ryan into the deal instead. Sheehan, 26, is actually younger than Ryan, with far more major league experience and less injury baggage. His 4.95 ERA and 1.25 WHIP this season don't look great, but the numbers under the hood are much stronger (3.77 xERA), with 104 strikeouts in 92.2 innings.
Sheehan is a flyball pitcher who can get knocked around when he lives too far in the zone, but he also misses a ton of bats, with real deception on his slider and changeup to complement a fastball that feels more powerful than its low-to-mid 90s velocity. He has serious trade value, under club control through 2029, and could help L.A. backfill its farm system, acquire another bat, or even target a top-shelf reliever.
LHP Eric Lauer
The Dodgers acquired Eric Lauer from Toronto earlier this season to help keep the rotation afloat amid injuries. The southpaw has done a phenomenal job, with a 2.89 ERA and 0.98 WHIP across nine appearances and 51.2 innings. This is why the Dodgers are the best team in baseball: their ability to maximize value on the margins and bring about the best performance from even throwaway additions.
Lauer is on an expiring contract. He figures to move to the bullpen following the Skubal trade, where he can give the Dodgers some length and flexibility. Or, L.A. could look to flip him to a cheaper contender in need of an inning-eater down the stretch. Either way, the Lauer trade has already been a massive victory for the Dodgers.
RHP Christian Zazueta
Christian Zazueta, a 21-year-old righty who made his Double-A debut this season, is Los Angeles' top-ranked pitching prospect and their No. 5 overall prospect, per MLB Pipeline. He ranks No. 66 in their league-wide rankings and No. 10 among right-handed pitchers, with a chance to compete for major league reps next season.
Zazueta could've anchored a Skubal package in an alternate universe. Instead, the Dodgers can toy with the idea of trading him to address other needs, as the rotation figures to remain overwhelmingly deep and talented next season, too. The Dodgers are the one team that can feel confident about re-signing Skubal in free agency. Even if he does leave, Sheehan, Lauer and others are evidence of L.A.'s ability to find pitching depth elsewhere.
LHP Jackson Ferris
With River Ryan on his way to Detroit, there's a strong argument that 22-year-old Jackson Ferris (L.A.'s No. 9 prospect) is the Dodgers minor league pitcher closest to an MLB promotion. It probably won't come this season, as Ferris has struggled to a 6.98 ERA in Triple-A, but he was with the Dodgers in spring training and he should compete for a major league spot in 2027.
Like many Dodgers prospects, Ferris will find that actually cracking the MLB depth chart on a full-time basis is easier said than done, especially since he has struggled to locate his best stuff this season. Especially if Skubal re-signs long term, the Dodgers simply have too many expensive, proven veterans on the roster. Trading Ferris to address an offensive need, even on a short-term basis, would be logical.
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