Cubs' 2024 Zyhir Hope trade supplied the Dodgers the prospect to land Tarik Skubal
The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired back-to-back Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers ahead of Monday's trade deadline, sending prospects Zyhir Hope, River Ryan and Brady Smith to Detroit. Hope, the top-rated prospect in the deal, was drafted 11th overall by the Chicago Cubs in the 2023 MLB June Amateur Draft. Chicago moved him to Los Angeles in a 2024 trade that returned first baseman Michael Busch to the Cubs.
Key takeaways
- The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers ahead of Monday's trade deadline, sending prospects Zyhir Hope, River Ryan and Brady Smith to Detroit.
- Zyhir Hope, the top-rated prospect in the Skubal deal, was originally drafted 11th overall by the Chicago Cubs in 2023 and traded to the Dodgers in 2024 for first baseman Michael Busch.
- The Cubs were among the teams reported to have a genuine chance at acquiring Skubal earlier in trade discussions but ultimately did not land him.
- The Cubs entered deadline week in first place in the National League Wild Card race despite injuries to their starting rotation.
- The Cubs host the Dodgers for a three-game series beginning Monday, where Skubal could make his Dodgers debut against the franchise that originally drafted him.
The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired back-to-back Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers ahead of Monday's trade deadline, sending prospects Zyhir Hope, River Ryan and Brady Smith to Detroit. Hope, the top-rated prospect in the deal, was drafted 11th overall by the Chicago Cubs in the 2023 MLB June Amateur Draft. Chicago moved him to Los Angeles in a 2024 trade that returned first baseman Michael Busch to the Cubs.
The 2024 Busch deal, and where Hope went
Two years before Monday's transaction, the Cubs and Dodgers completed a deal sending Hope to Los Angeles in exchange for Busch. Chicago gained a first baseman who has been a reliable part of the lineup in what is now his third season with the club. Hope, meanwhile, developed inside the Dodgers' system and became the top piece in the package Los Angeles offered Detroit to acquire Skubal.
The sequence is direct: Chicago drafted Hope in 2023, traded him to the Dodgers in 2024, and watched Los Angeles use him as the lead prospect in the Tigers' return for one of the best pitchers in baseball in 2026.
The Cubs had interest in Skubal
Chicago entered deadline week in first place in the National League Wild Card race, a position held despite injuries that thinned the starting rotation through the 2026 season. The Cubs were among the many teams reported to have a genuine chance at acquiring Skubal, particularly in the earlier stages of trade discussions involving the 29-year-old.
Adding Skubal, even on a one-year rental before his expected free agency, could have positioned Chicago as the top National League contender with the postseason approaching. Instead, the Dodgers added one of the sport's best pitchers to a roster already considered the strongest in baseball and extended their pursuit of a third consecutive World Series title.
Monday opens a home series
The Cubs host Los Angeles for a three-game series beginning Monday. Skubal could make his debut as a Dodger in Chicago that week, pitching against the franchise that originally drafted him and later supplied the prospect that made the trade possible.