Worldwide Sports News

It would appear that the MLB Trade Deadline market is starting to kick into high gear with some major moves starting to happen. We’ll drop the latest trade news here as we learn of them.

Well, let’s start with the good feelings. There was a sentimental feeling percolating around the Yard well before tonight’s game, with a team Hall of Fame induction ceremony that saw former O’s slugger Chris Davis, 1983 World Series Champion Storm Davis, and late scout Jim Russo all get their green jackets. Both Storm and Chris were in attendance, along with lots of their former teammates, including, to give short pre-game remarks and stop by the MASN booth to chat about their favorite memories.

It was cool to learn that Storm Davis actually served as a mentor to a young Ben McDonald, then a rookie pitcher, now a MASN analyst, but I was especially sentimental about Davis’s reminiscences, which covered the especially sweet 2012-16 years, when the O’s led the AL in wins. Dishing about some of his favorite memories, Davis named several that brought up memories. There was his 2013 home opener grand slam:

This unreal broken-bat home run off lefty Tony Watson.

And, my favorite, the ludicrously improbable homer he hit off ambidextrous sinker-baller Pat Venditte, a tentative one-handed half-swing that somehow made it into the stands. Davis described it earlier this week: “The home run vs Pat Venditte where I literally ass out, one handed, I heard he tore up the video room on the visitor side after that… I’m like, I don’t know either dude. Like I don’t know what I’m doing.” Amazing!

Look, Chris Davis had his share of troubles on the field, especially toward the end of his career, but he is a beloved part of Birdland history, a fact that seemed confirmed by how many former O’s made it out to honor him.

OK, but that’s the extent of the sentimentality here, because there was a game to play, and for O’s fans, not a lot of sweet memories will be left from this one. This is because Philadelphia’s Cristopher Sánchez is a true artist on the mound. The left-hander came into tonight with the NL’s fifth best ERA and a wicked 50-inning scoreless streak earlier this season, and tonight, you saw why it was deserved. Sánchez has one of the best sinkers in the game, and so it was again. He also has a changeup several miles slower but with the same path out of the hand. It wreaked havoc. Sánchez drew 9 swings and misses on 15 changeups tonight (60%), finishing with 11 strikeouts in just six innings.

Then again, for most of the game the score was 1-0, and O’s starter Shane Baz was really good, too: he threw 6 1/3 innings and only allowed one run. More on Baz in a sec.

The Birds had a few chances against Sánchez, believe it or not—even if they had to do it by free pass, and not by hard contact. In the fourth inning, Sánchez did something he hadn’t all season and walked three hitters in a row—Gunnar Henderson, Tyler O’Neill, Christian Encarnación-Strand. This brought up Leody Taveras with the bases juiced and two outs. Could he… ?? Alas, he could not. It was not a good at-bat. Taveras swung aggressively through the early pitches, and stared at a fairly routine pitch down the middle for Strike 3.

They gritted a second rally chance into existence in the sixth, but if you’ve been paying attention to the final score you know how that went. Taylor Ward worked a walk, and chugged his way to third base on a Tyler O’Neill dribbler the other way—nice hustle, Ward! CES had a chance to drive him in from third, but he walked, the second time Sánchez had loaded the bases with two outs. Sánchez looked mighty distracted, way overthrowing the ball twice to CES before walking him.

So, not much to report on offense. Now, despite what the badness of the score indicates, Orioles pitching was excellent until a bullpen meltdown in the eighth inning. O’s right hander Shane Baz went toe-to-toe with Sánchez, basically, continuing to look like a solid investment for this team and a great option in this rotation. Baz had dazzling spin on his changeup and knuckle curve, plenty of movement on his sinker, and even better velocity than usual—which is saying something! Baz allowed some loud contact, but no more than two hits out of the first fourteen batters.

Regrettably, he got the loss in this game, with one run surrendered in the fifth inning. With a man on second via walk, Baz allowed a two-out single to Bryan de la Cruz. Not a cheapie, it was a bad, middle-of-the-zone fastball, and De la Cruz responded appropriately. This was pretty much Baz’s only bad pitch of the night.

In the sixth, Baz allowed a leadoff single to Bryce Harper, but then retired the side on a groundout, popout, and—oh, a super nice play by new-guy catcher Jake Rogers, acquired last week from Detroit, who caught Alec Bohm wandering off of first and fired down to Pete Alonso, who tagged him out.

Baz came one strike short of completing seven, but Philly second baseman Bryson Stott was a huge pain in the neck, seeing 14 pitches before cuing an opposite-way single. It took Baz out of there, but doesn’t dampen what was a great outing by the starter: 6 1/3 innings, 1 ER, 6 H, 4 K, 1 BB.

What was not great was the Grant Wolfram + Andrew Kittredge tandem in the eighth, which coughed up four runs by virtue of three combined walks and three hits. Wolfram looked wild, and Kittredge hittable. The inning felt like forever, and a 1-0 pitcher’s duel became a 5-0 blowout, deflating the stadium.

At the time of this writing, the Twins lost and the Guardians are in a 12-7 hole, so the Orioles haven’t actually given up ground in the Wild Card race. Despite this stupid result, the hunt for the playoffs goes on. Tomorrow, Kyle Bradish v. Zack Wheeler. Let’s hope the bullpen is more rested by then.

According to a report by The Athletic’s Jesús Cano, Atlanta Braves first round pick AJ Gracia underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder and will miss the rest of the season. According to the report, the surgery was performed on Wednesday by Dr. Neil ElAttrache with Gracia expected to miss seven to 10 months.

Gracia was selected ninth overall by the Braves out of the University of Virginia. He took an under-slot deal when he signed. Gracia was ranked second on Battery Power’s mid-season prospect list.

Cano reported Gracia’s surgery based on information from anonymous sources as the team has not announced this news.

Here’s our own Matt Powers with some context via ex-Twitter:

The Chicago White Sox didn’t have to prove they were legitimate playoff contenders, but they affirmed as much Saturday, Aug. 1 when they acquired right-handed pitcher Luis Castillo from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for reliever Seranthony Dominguez, former prospect Nolan Jones and catching prospect Boston Smith, the team announced.

Castillo, 33, was expendable in Seattle thanks to the Mariners' deep rotation, a gaggle of majors-ready prospects and the $24.1 million salary he’s due in 2027. He also hasn’t performed particularly well this season, posting a 5.06 ERA in 20 appearances, 17 starts, this season.

Yet Castillo is a three-time former All-Star who finished fifth in 2023 AL Cy Young Award voting and as recently as last season pitched 180 innings. He’ll add length to a White Sox rotation that thins out after No. 1 starter Sean Burke and Davis Martin. 

MLB trade deadline updates: Rumors, news and latest hot stove intel

The Yankees blew a late lead against the Chicago Cubs to even the series following their 5-2 loss on Saturday night.

Here are the key takeaways...

-- In his third start since returning from the IL due to a bone bruise in his left elbow, Max Fried was dominant over 5.1 innings. His only blemish came in the first inning after a leadoff walk to Pete Crow-Armstrong was followed by two wild pitches that sandwiched a groundout that advanced the runner to third base and scored the game’s first run without a hit.

From there, the left-hander didn’t allow a baserunner until Alex Bregman gave the Cubs their first hit with a one-out single in the fourth. However, Fried easily disposed of the next two batters to end the inning unharmed. 

-- It was the next half inning that the bottom of the Yankees’ lineup helped their starting pitcher out and got on the board to tie things up. 

After two quick outs, Spencer Jones reached base on a fielding error by first baseman Michael Busch. That opening allowed the next batter, Ali Sanchez, to sneak one through the right side for a base hit before Jose Caballero capped the two-out rally with a run-scoring single to right field.

-- Fried worked around a leadoff single in the bottom of the fifth and then went back out for the sixth but was removed by manager Aaron Boone after getting the first out of the inning. New York is still raising the left-hander’s pitch count following his injury and he was pulled after 78 pitches (54 strikes).

Fried’s final line: 5.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, which lowered his ERA to 3.12.

-- Angel Chivilli was the first arm out of the bullpen and despite two walks, he was able to get out of the inning.

-- It looked like the Yankees took the momentum in the top of the seventh when the lefty-swinging Jones, who started the rally in the fifth, launched a solo shot against LHP David Peterson to give his team its first lead of the night. The home run was Jones’ fifth of the season as the rookie continues to look more and more comfortable at the plate. He finished 2-for-4.

-- After running themselves out of the inning and being unable to tack on any insurance runs following Jones’ blast, the Yanks’ lead quickly disappeared.

With reliever Fernando Cruz now in the game, the first batter he faced, Nico Hoerner, took him deep for a game-tying solo homer that swung the pendulum back in favor of Chicago. 

Two outs later, it looked like Cruz would be able to get out of the inning with just one run allowed, but a walk to pinch-hitter Pedro Ramirez turned over the lineup and brought up Crow-Armstrong. Facing Brent Headrick, Crow-Armstrong tripled on a line drive to right field that Jasson Dominguez had trouble with, allowing the go-ahead run to score, charged to Cruz. Seiya Suzuki followed suit with an RBI single, charged to Headrick, to make it 4-2.

The Cubs added a run in the bottom of the eighth against Yovanny Cruz and the Yanks went quietly in the top of the ninth.

Game MVP: Pete Crow-Armstrong

Crow-Armstrong was everywhere, scoring twice and driving in the game-winning run with his seventh-inning triple.

Highlights

The Yankees string together a rally in the 5th!

José Caballero ties the game! pic.twitter.com/T10EpY2nZy

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) August 2, 2026

What's next

The Yankees and Cubs continue their series at Wrigley Field with a Sunday matinee starting at 2:20 p.m.

RHP Gerrit Cole (4-5, 3.57 ERA) takes on RHP Colin Rea (8-7, 4.67 ERA).

The Texas Rangers scored four runs but the Houston Astros scored five runs.

Other than the fact that the Rangers didn’t ultimately end up losing by like ten runs, this was a pretty familiar contest. The Rangers let a first inning rally go to waste without scoring and then Houston got on the board first with a two-out rally from the bottom of their lineup in the second.

Wyatt Langford tied the game with a Crawford Boxes special solo home run, but Houston again produced an extended rally that saw them collect two more two-out runs. Unlike last night, the Rangers had some fight in them as they tied the game 3-3 in the top of the fourth but Houston again produced a couple of runs in the bottom of the inning to knock out starter Jacob deGrom.

The Rangers got the final run of the game via a solo Elias Diaz home run in the top of the sixth, but they couldn’t get the next run to even the score and have now lost this series with a game to play tomorrow. Oh yeah, and they’re below .500 again after losing their fourth game in a row.

Player of the Game: Lefty reliever Tyler Alexander tossed two scoreless frames in the middle innings to settle the game down and give the Rangers a shot at mounting a comeback. The Rangers did not pull it off but Alexander was essentially the most successful pitcher that Texas has sent out there so far in this series.

Up Next: The Rangers will send RHP Kumar Rocker to the mound hoping to avoid getting swept against RHP Peter Lambert for Houston.

The Sunday afternoon series finale first pitch from Daikin Park is scheduled for 1:10 pm CDT and will be aired on the Rangers Sports Network.

It’s been a busy night at Coors Field! The Rockies lead 8-4 after being down 4-0, and being held without a baserunner, at the top of the third inning.

They scored six in the bottom of the third, and Lane Thomas was traded to the Atlanta Braves in the fourth.

There’s still a lot of game left, so let’s keep the discussion going!

As a reminder, here are the lineups:

Let’s go Rockies!

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Clay Holmes may make a final rehab start with Class-A Brooklyn on Sunday, but of more importance is the fact that the right-hander knows whenever he does return to the majors, it will almost certainly be with another organization.

“There are no guarantees in this sport,’’ the Mets right-hander said Saturday at Citi Field about the possibility of a trade by Monday’s deadline. “In the situation we’re in, it’s pretty likely. We’ll wait and see what the next few days hold.”

The right-hander, who has a player option worth $12 million for next season, has fully recovered from the fractured right fibula he suffered on a Spencer Jones comebacker on May 15 and said he was “more than ready” to pitch in the majors.

Still, he has come to grips with the reality of the situation, with the Mets not wanting to risk an injury with perhaps their most valuable trade piece.

Asked about a potential extension prior to Monday, Holmes said it remained a long shot.

“It seems like it’s the same path and a trade is most likely,’’ Holmes said.

Interim manager Andy Green said the plans to have Holmes pitch in Brooklyn on Sunday could “change at the drop of a hat,” depending on whether a deal appears to be imminent.

If the Mets go through with sending Holmes to Brooklyn, he’s expected to throw about 70-75 pitches in a third rehab outing.

“There’s a lot of interest across the industry,’’ Green said of Holmes. “We’ll see where it goes. As an organization, he’s still getting built up. There’s still work to be done.”

If Holmes ends up getting traded, he didn’t rule out a return if he declines the player option, since he was having a stellar season prior to the injury.

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND METS STATS

“My feelings haven’t changed about the Mets,’’ said Holmes, who has outperformed the three-year, $38 million deal he signed with the team prior to the 2025 season. “Whatever happens here, I feel the same way. There’s a level of uncertainty and it’s hard to predict what’s gonna happen at the end of the year.”

Holmes had a 2.39 ERA over 52 innings in nine starts before hitting the IL in May and put up a 3.53 ERA in 165 ²/₃ innings over 33 games — 31 starts — last season.

If the Mets hadn’t been in the midst of one of the worst seasons in franchise history, Holmes’ return would have been a welcome addition to the starting rotation.

As he heads towards the deadline, Holmes said he “feels good. The sinker feels like it always has. Pretty normal.”

He was also pleased with his sweeper, cutter and changeup.

But with the Mets in sell mode and little to play for down the stretch, the two most important pieces of the rotation — Holmes and Freddy Peralta — are seeing their days numbered in Queens.

“I’m more than ready to pitch in the big leagues,’’ Holmes said. “I respect [why they want me to make another rehab start]. . . . I want to continue to build and hope for the next start, I’m ready for the full clip, wherever that is.”

After a late scratch for Reynaldo Lopez with a knee injury, Martin Perez became the late-notice starter for Atlanta in game 2 against the Nationals.

Perez worked a 1-2-3 first and Ronald and Matt Olson gave him a quick lead with back-to-back solo homers with one out in the bottom of the first.

Onto the second and Perez cruised through the second with two strikeouts. Yaz hustled for a bloop double and that work paid off with an RBI single from Drake Baldwin with two outs. A Jarvis error allowed a leadoff baserunner in the third, but the runner was erased with a double-play in another clean frame. Errors from Albies and Jarvis spelled trouble for Perez in the fourth, but Martin secured a crucial strikeout to keep the Nats off the board. Dominic Smith tacked on an insurance run with a solo homer in the bottom of the frame.

Perez carried a no-hitter through 6.2 innings, before giving up a single with two outs and ultimately getting out of the frame with the shutout. He ended the night with a massive 7.0 innings of scoreless ball and 6 strikeouts, all while making this start on maybe one hour’s notice. It can’t be overstated how tremendous this was for tonight and for the bullpen from Martin.

In the bottom of the inning, the Braves loaded the bases with no outs with two walks and some help from an error, scoring a run on a Dominic Smith walk. Ronald scored on a wild pitch, with the other runners advancing and Austin Riley brought them home with a two-RBI double, making it a comfortable 8-0 ballgame in the bottom of the seventh. Danny Young got the eighth and gave up three runs but got out of the inning limiting the damage to that. Victor Mederos got the ninth and got the job done with little drama, securing a comfortable 8-3 win and preserving the back of the bullpen.

Join us again as the Braves go for the sweep tomorrow at 1:35 PM ET.

At the bottom of the fourth inning of tonight’s game, Lane Thomas went out to center field but then was summoned back to the dugout where he smiled and hugged teammates before exiting up the tunnel. A few minutes later, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that he and left-handed pitcher Bailey Falter had been traded to Atlanta. The return has not yet been announced, but with the variety of injuries to right-handed hitters and the announcement earlier tonight that Randy Arozarena would not be traded, hopes are high for a strong return.

UPDATE:

So I did the research, and Carter Holton is considered Atlanta’s 23rd-best prospect with a Future Value of 40. But he’s a 23-year-old in A-ball, which doesn’t match the lofty rating at all. He’s a left-hander with an above-average slider, but a 5.08 ERA in 33.2 innings this year.

Lucas Braun is considered Atlanta’s 18th-best prospect, all with a 40 FV. He’s a 24-year-old right-hander playing in AAA. At least he’s young for the level, but the 3.92 ERA and low strikeout rate don’t inspire confidence. Sure feels like if he had a ton of value, Atlanta could have just kept him instead of acquiring Bailey Falter. MLB does have him with a 45 FV and as 8th in their system. So, maybe FanGraphs is overly critical. But I’m not really liking what I’m seeing there.

Unlike nearly every other deal I’ve seen this deadline, I’m underwhelmed.

Baseball Trade Values thinks the Royals got a steal, but you have to wonder how much better they could have done without Falter in the deal. It sure as heck seems like he got added as a salary dump with that underwhelming return.

Update: It’s official.

The Atlanta Braves are trading for Kansas City Royals outfielder Lane Thomas and pitcher Bailey Falter, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

Thomas, who is from Knoxville, TN, is an eight-year big league outfielder who debuted with the St. Louis Cardinals and also spent four seasons with the Washington Nationals. He’s appeared in 96 games for the Royals this season with an overall .717 OPS but has hit left-handed pitchers much better with an .800 OPS against them. His career OPS against left-handed pitchers is .850. For the season he has a 101 wRC+ which is in line with his career totals.

He adds depth to Atlanta’s outfield and becomes a viable platoon partner for Mike Yastrzemski. Thomas was removed from the game was a “hug watch” moment from Royals broadcaster Joel Goldberg.

As for Falter, he has pitched in only five games with Kansas City this season. The left-hander has had some recent success at Triple-A as MLB.com’s Mark Bowman notes. Falter adds bullpen depth, but could stay at Triple-A barring other moves.

Update: Falter to Triple-A confirmed by the AJC’s Chad Bishop. Also, the delay of Thomas reporting to Atlanta could be due to the possible roster crunch around the trade deadline. Atlanta off on Monday.

He has historically posted low strikeout totals but has provided slightly above average results, until this season, during his big career that starting in 2021 with the Philadelphia Phillies. He’s 85 of his career 119 games pitched including a career-high 28 with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2024.

Robert Murray reports that pitchers Carter Holton and Lucas Braun are going to the Royals in the deal. Holton was Atlanta’s second round pick in 2024 out of Vanderbilt University but has yet to pitch above A.

Braun, who was 28th on the Battery Power mid-season prospect rankings, was the team’s sixth round pick in 2023 and has made nine starts at Triple-A Gwinnett and eight starts at Double-A Columbus.

What is your initial reaction to the trade?

It’s the time of year when every minor league lineup is closely monitored for late scratches and signs of a potential trade.

On Saturday night at the Dodgers’ Double-A affiliate in Tulsa, there were two notable absences that sent sirens off around the industry.

After originally being listed to play for Tulsa on Saturday, highly touted outfield prospects Zyhir Hope and Kendall George were removed from the team’s lineup shortly before first pitch.

For now, however, it appears to be a false alarm.

According to sources with knowledge of the situation, there was no known trade in place for either player yet. Instead, the Dodgers were simply believed to be taking a precaution as rival clubs inquire about them ahead of Monday’s trade deadline.

So it goes for a Dodgers team eyeing the top of the trade market.

They are expected to be contenders for Tigers ace and two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. They will, as always, be having other wide-ranging conversations with potential trade partners as Monday’s deadline nears. And they will field plenty of calls about their best young players, prompting them to take no chances over the next couple days.

Hope, 21, was originally an 11th-round draft pick of the Cubs in 2023 whom the Dodgers acquired as part of the Michael Busch trade the following offseason. He has since climbed prospect rankings thanks to a .281 average, 48 home runs and .862 OPS in his minor league career. Now, he is a consensus top-55 talent in the sport.

George, 21, is a homegrown Dodgers prospect, drafted 36th overall back in 2023. A speed-first center fielder who has blossomed at the plate with a career .304 minor league average, he missed time earlier this year after a freak incident in which he injured his patella while avoiding Tulsa’s team bat dog during a game in May, but avoided surgery and returned to action last month.

According to Baseball America, Hope is the Dodgers’ No. 4 ranked prospect (and has been seen as a potentially logical inclusion in any negotiations for Skubal), while George is the No. 11 ranked player in their farm system.

For now, they will remain that way.

Whether that’s still the case come Monday remains to be seen.

Detroit Tigers vs. Athletics

Time/Place: 9:40 p.m., Sutter Health Park
SB Nation Site:Athletics Nation
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network

Dodgers land Cy Young ace Tarik Skubal in blockbuster deadline deal originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Los Angeles Dodgers have acquired the biggest prize on the trade deadline market, getting two-time reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers.

Skubal got the news during the Tigers’ 8-6 win over the Athletics and was emotional after the game as he prepared to leave the team that drafted him in 2018 and developed him into a star to join the two-time defending World Series champions.

“I’m excited to be a Dodger,” he said. “I’m excited to get down there and meet all those guys and chase three championships in a row. That’s hard to do, so I’m so excited to a part of that. But it’s a lot of different emotions. Definitely kind of a roller coaster a little bit.”

Skubal is the latest star to join the high-priced roster for the Dodgers that already has big-name players like Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Mookie Betts. If everyone is healthy, he could be part of a rotation with Ohtani, reigning World Series MVP Yamamoto, fellow two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow. The Dodgers lead the majors with a 3.36 ERA from their starting pitchers and now add Skubal to the mix.

The Dodgers are in first place in the NL West and were already the favorites to become the first team to three-peat since the New York Yankees from 1998-2000 before adding Skubal. They began the season with a $323.3 million opening-day payroll for their 40-man roster and a $163.7 million tax for a $487.1 million total. They will pay Skubal about $9.5 million for the remainder of the season.

ESPN first reported the deal and said the Tigers would receive three minor league prospects in right-handers River Ryan and Brady Smith and outfielder Zyhir Hope.

Skubal is eligible for free agency after the World Series. He has a $32 million salary, a record total in arbitration, after the team offered $19 million, and is expected to sign a massive contract in the offseason.

The 29-year-old lefty said in July that it was his preference to finish the season with the Tigers and to compete for a World Series championship, which has eluded the franchise since 1984. Skubal took the loss in the decisive Game 5 of the division series against Cleveland in 2024 and then got a no-decision in a 15-inning loss to Seattle in Game 5 of the division series last year.

He said it was “very tough” to leave the Tigers having fallen short of the goal of winning a title.

“Ever since that ’24 Game 5, the failure that I experienced on the mound, I’ve used that as fuel to try and bring a World Series to the city of Detroit. I truly did,” he said. “That whole offseason I’ve never been more motivated and then go in and we lose Game 5 again. That failure kind of sparks some more motivation, just to dig deeper and see how good you can truly be. The goal was always to win a World Series for the city, for the organization that took a chance on me. It’s tough. I love all those guys in there. They’re some of my best friends.”

Detroit planned to contend again this season, bolstering the Skubal-led rotation by giving two-time All-Star pitcher Framber Valdez a $115 million, three-year contract in free agency and retaining three-time All-Star infielder Gleyber Torres with a $22 million deal.

The Tigers, though, got off to a rough start and are currently 2 1/2 games out of the last wild-card spot in the American League.

“It’s crazy. Going into the season, this isn’t what I planned on doing,” Skubal said. “But circumstances change, situations change, and I’m very appreciative of everything the Tigers have done for me.”

They bounced back in June and most of July to get into playoff contention with Skubal leading a rotation and three All-Stars in the lineup: rookie infielder Kevin McGonigle, catcher Dillon Dingler and outfielder Riley Greene.

With a chance to possibly persuade management to keep Skubal by improving its playoff positioning, Detroit lost ground by dropping four of its last five games at home, including Skubal’s last start that was made even more memorable by a late-inning collapse.

The Tigers led Baltimore 7-0 after six innings Wednesday and lost 10-9 in 12 innings. Skubal started the game, recorded his 1,000th career strikeout and was cheered at every opportunity by a crowd of 34,406.

“I’ve watched this guy rise to the top of the sport,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “He’s carried us a lot. I’ll forever be grateful that our paths crossed and the things that he did for this organization and for a couple of playoff teams. His presence, his work ethic, his example, his dominance. There’s so much to go through, it’s hard to capture in one quote or kind of one setting. But I’m very grateful that I was able to manage him for the time that I did.”

Skubal is 7-5 this season with a 2.79 ERA and 116 strikeouts in 96 2/3 innings. He is 61-42 with a 3.04 ERA over seven seasons, all in Detroit. In two postseasons, Skubal is 2-1 with a 2.04 ERA in six starts.

Skubal had a minimally invasive surgery on May 6 to remove a loose body from his pitching elbow and returned to pitch on June 13.

“The way the surgery went is exactly how it was supposed to go,” he said in July.

AP Sports Writer Larry Lage in Detroit contributed to this report.

Dodgers land Cy Young ace Tarik Skubal in blockbuster deadline deal originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Los Angeles Dodgers have acquired the biggest prize on the trade deadline market, getting two-time reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers.

Skubal got the news during the Tigers’ 8-6 win over the Athletics and was emotional after the game as he prepared to leave the team that drafted him in 2018 and developed him into a star to join the two-time defending World Series champions.

“I’m excited to be a Dodger,” he said. “I’m excited to get down there and meet all those guys and chase three championships in a row. That’s hard to do, so I’m so excited to a part of that. But it’s a lot of different emotions. Definitely kind of a roller coaster a little bit.”

Skubal is the latest star to join the high-priced roster for the Dodgers that already has big-name players like Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Mookie Betts. If everyone is healthy, he could be part of a rotation with Ohtani, reigning World Series MVP Yamamoto, fellow two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow. The Dodgers lead the majors with a 3.36 ERA from their starting pitchers and now add Skubal to the mix.

The Dodgers are in first place in the NL West and were already the favorites to become the first team to three-peat since the New York Yankees from 1998-2000 before adding Skubal. They began the season with a $323.3 million opening-day payroll for their 40-man roster and a $163.7 million tax for a $487.1 million total. They will pay Skubal about $9.5 million for the remainder of the season.

ESPN first reported the deal and said the Tigers would receive three minor league prospects in right-handers River Ryan and Brady Smith and outfielder Zyhir Hope.

Skubal is eligible for free agency after the World Series. He has a $32 million salary, a record total in arbitration, after the team offered $19 million, and is expected to sign a massive contract in the offseason.

The 29-year-old lefty said in July that it was his preference to finish the season with the Tigers and to compete for a World Series championship, which has eluded the franchise since 1984. Skubal took the loss in the decisive Game 5 of the division series against Cleveland in 2024 and then got a no-decision in a 15-inning loss to Seattle in Game 5 of the division series last year.

He said it was “very tough” to leave the Tigers having fallen short of the goal of winning a title.

“Ever since that ’24 Game 5, the failure that I experienced on the mound, I’ve used that as fuel to try and bring a World Series to the city of Detroit. I truly did,” he said. “That whole offseason I’ve never been more motivated and then go in and we lose Game 5 again. That failure kind of sparks some more motivation, just to dig deeper and see how good you can truly be. The goal was always to win a World Series for the city, for the organization that took a chance on me. It’s tough. I love all those guys in there. They’re some of my best friends.”

Detroit planned to contend again this season, bolstering the Skubal-led rotation by giving two-time All-Star pitcher Framber Valdez a $115 million, three-year contract in free agency and retaining three-time All-Star infielder Gleyber Torres with a $22 million deal.

The Tigers, though, got off to a rough start and are currently 2 1/2 games out of the last wild-card spot in the American League.

“It’s crazy. Going into the season, this isn’t what I planned on doing,” Skubal said. “But circumstances change, situations change, and I’m very appreciative of everything the Tigers have done for me.”

They bounced back in June and most of July to get into playoff contention with Skubal leading a rotation and three All-Stars in the lineup: rookie infielder Kevin McGonigle, catcher Dillon Dingler and outfielder Riley Greene.

With a chance to possibly persuade management to keep Skubal by improving its playoff positioning, Detroit lost ground by dropping four of its last five games at home, including Skubal’s last start that was made even more memorable by a late-inning collapse.

The Tigers led Baltimore 7-0 after six innings Wednesday and lost 10-9 in 12 innings. Skubal started the game, recorded his 1,000th career strikeout and was cheered at every opportunity by a crowd of 34,406.

“I’ve watched this guy rise to the top of the sport,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “He’s carried us a lot. I’ll forever be grateful that our paths crossed and the things that he did for this organization and for a couple of playoff teams. His presence, his work ethic, his example, his dominance. There’s so much to go through, it’s hard to capture in one quote or kind of one setting. But I’m very grateful that I was able to manage him for the time that I did.”

Skubal is 7-5 this season with a 2.79 ERA and 116 strikeouts in 96 2/3 innings. He is 61-42 with a 3.04 ERA over seven seasons, all in Detroit. In two postseasons, Skubal is 2-1 with a 2.04 ERA in six starts.

Skubal had a minimally invasive surgery on May 6 to remove a loose body from his pitching elbow and returned to pitch on June 13.

“The way the surgery went is exactly how it was supposed to go,” he said in July.

AP Sports Writer Larry Lage in Detroit contributed to this report.