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TORONTO – Competitively, the late-night trade that sent Tarik Skubal to the Dodgers reinforces their status as baseball’s villains.
They’re not just dangerous when it comes to money, but also when it comes to prospects. This time the depth of their minor-league system will allow them to acquire Skubal for outfield prospect Zyhir Hope and pitching prospects River Ryan and Brady Smith.
It’s a blockbuster deal that gives the Dodgers a potential playoff rotation including Skubal, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki even if Shohei Ohtani doesn’t pitch much down the stretch.
From the perspective of the two-time defending World Series winners, it’s easy to see why Skubal was so appealing. The Dodgers don’t need help reaching the post-season as they’re already 10 games up in the NL West, but the two-time Cy Young winner will dramatically increase their chances of winning a short playoff series alongside the likes of Yamamoto.
Meanwhile, the Tigers get two top-100 prospects in Hope (baseball’s No. 25 prospect as ranked by MLB Pipeline) and Ryan (No. 68) plus Smith, a former third-round pick. Painful though it must be to part with Skubal, this move positions the Tigers better for 2027 and beyond.
Now it’s time to continue selling with Casey Mize and others expected to be moved.
As for Skubal, he’s no longer eligible to receive a qualifying offer, giving his free agent stock a slight boost – not that he needs it. When Skubal hits free agency this fall, the Scott Boras client will be the top free agent available, with big-market teams including the Dodgers likely to covet him.
The impact this trade will have on the rest of the market is also interesting. These superstar deals often linger until the last minute, at which point other teams have to react rapidly. In this case, the Tigers evidently liked the return enough to accept it nearly 48 hours before Monday’s 6 p.m. ET deadline.
That leaves other sellers like the Blue Jays plenty of time to readjust to the starting pitching market while also removing one potential buyer from the mix, assuming the Dodgers are done with their rotation for now.
In theory, Toronto GM Ross Atkins now has a day and a half to engage with teams like the Brewers, Rays and Yankees who were reportedly in on Skubal. The Padres, Phillies and Cubs weren’t linked as much to Skubal but are still believed to be in the starting pitching market, giving the Blue Jays plenty of options as they contemplate potential deals.
The White Sox may be less motivated in that market after adding Luis Castillo Saturday.
Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber and Max Scherzer all have varying degrees of trade value, while the Blue Jays will listen on their relievers, too. Recent trades for rental starters, like Dustin May, Merrill Kelly and Jack Flaherty, suggest the Blue Jays could likely get two prospects for Gausman, who can block deals to eight teams.
Bieber’s value is harder to place while Scherzer has a chance to prove himself Sunday, when scouts from contenders will be watching at Rogers Centre. Patrick Corbin, another pending free agent, isn’t close to pitching, likely removing him from the equation, but relievers like Jeff Hoffman could be dealt.
Technically speaking, the Blue Jays lose a possible suitor for their pitchers now that Skubal’s in Los Angeles, but it’s debatable whether the Blue Jays would have seriously considered sending Gausman, a fan favourite, to the team that beat them in last year’s World Series. Sending Eric Lauer to the Dodgers was one thing. There may well be limits there.
For what it’s worth, the Blue Jays have completed at least three deals in the 10-day window leading up to the trade deadline every one of the 10 seasons Atkins has been GM.
So far in 2026, that number is zero, which suggests the next day and a half will be busy as the Blue Jays listen to offers on their pending free agents.
