One game was said to be the deciding factor that greenlit the Tarik Skubal trade.
The Los Angeles Dodgers grew even more formidable over the weekend by acquiring Skubal from the Detroit Tigers in a blockbuster deal. Detroit received three Dodgers prospects in return.
Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris spoke to reporters on Monday and was asked about when exactly the team opted to move Skubal. Harris pointed to the end of Detroit’s recent series against the Baltimore Orioles.
The Tigers lost the finale of said series 10-9 in extra innings during what turned out to be Skubal’s final start with the team. According to Harris, the “final decision” to trade him was made after the game.
Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris just spoke with the media for nearly 40 minutes. A lot to share, but one interesting nugget to start:
— Evan Woodbery (@evanwoodbery) August 4, 2026
When did Tigers formally decide to sell? Harris was very specific: After the series with the Orioles.
The finale on July 29…
The Dodgers may now be obligated to send the Orioles’ clubhouse a nice gift basket.
Skubal had been cruising through said July 29 start, blanking Baltimore through six innings as Detroit built a 7-run lead entering the 7th inning. The Orioles then plated 7 unanswered runs to force extra innings and won 10-9 in the 12th.
The Tigers had been clinging to a faint shot at a Wild Card spot in a crowded AL race. The defeat dropped them to seven games under .500 and was their fourth loss in five games.
Detroit has since won three straight games via a series sweep of the Athletics. But Skubal will no longer be anchoring the rotation for the team’s playoff push.
