Tarik Skubal will have the chance to win a World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but that did not make Saturday night’s trade any easier on him.
Skubal fought off tears as he discussed the deal and how hard it would be to leave the Detroit Tigers when speaking with the media on Saturday night. Though he said he was “excited” for the opportunity to go to a legitimate World Series contender, he was clearly emotional at the prospect of leaving Detroit.
“It’s tough. I love all those guys in there. They’re some of my best friends,” Skubal said. “That’ll be tough, for sure.”
Tarik Skubal got emotional speaking about being traded to the Dodgers 🥺 pic.twitter.com/ZsHLFWZtdK
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 2, 2026
The Tigers are still on the fringes of the AL playoff race, but the Dodgers are obviously a much better bet to win it all. However, Skubal came up through the Detroit organization and has never played for another team. Leaving that behind will be difficult no matter what.
Presumably, Skubal will be in a much better mood by the time he gets to Los Angeles. The rest of the league will not be, though.
