Well, it was pretty much the expectation as soon as the Detroit Tigers made Tarik Skubal available, but it doesn’t make it any less annoying that the Los Angeles Dodgers traded for the best starting pitcher dealt in a very long time at the trade deadline. Some have scrutinized the return, while others have said it was a hefty price for a rental pitcher. Yet again, it’s the Dodgers, so they’re also considered the favorite to sign Skubal once he becomes a free agent, making them that much more aggressive in trading from their farm system to acquire him.
But that’s the polarizing conversation that fans have been arguing over since the trade went down Saturday night: Are the Dodgers prospects really that good, and could other teams have beaten out their offer?
The Dodgers have one of the top-rated farm systems in MLB, so when you see that the highest-ranked minor leaguer was No. 5 in their top-30 according to MLB Pipeline’s rankings, you begin to scratch your head.
Zyhir Hope is a 21-year-old corner outfielder in Double-A. He’s hit at every level, but his future value isn’t exactly reflected in current consensus rankings of top-100 prospects.
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Zyhir Hope Prospect Rankings
MLB Pipeline: No. 25
The Athletic: No. 26
Baseball America: No. 55
Fangraphs: No. 57
ESPN: (outside of top-50)
River Ryan is a right-handed pitcher at Triple-A. He’ll be 28-years-old in a couple of weeks, and the opinion on this guy was pretty much the difference-maker in the trade between the Dodgers and Tigers. You either believe in the tools and talent, or think he’s overrated with injury concerns. The right-handed pitcher did have a brief stint in the majors before needing Tommy John surgery in 2024. He made four starts with the Dodgers and recorded a 1.33 ERA with 18K/9BB in 20.1 innings.
River Ryan Prospect Rankings
Fangraphs: No. 22
The Athletic: No. 41
ESPN: No. 49
MLB Pipeline: No. 68
Baseball America: (outside top-100)
No offense to Brady Smith, but he was the throw-in, 21-year-old lottery ticket who has been pitching in A-Ball this year. Smith, a right-handed pitcher, was a third-round pick in 2023, taken 95th overall out of high school by the Dodgers.
So, that’s the package the Tigers picked. They obviously love Hope and think Ryan can be a good starting pitcher for years to come. If you’re wondering what it would have taken for the Cubs to match LA’s offer, Marquee Sports Network’s Lance Brozdowski provided some comps.
Josiah Hartshorn is currently the Cubs’ No. 1 or No. 2 prospect, depending on the list. Baseball America currently ranks the switch-hitting corner outfielder No. 29 on their top-100 list, which is the highest rating for Hartshron.
Pedro Ramirez has been fantastic during his rookie season, slashing .319/.375/.457 in 38 games so far in 2026. Before his neck injury, Ben Brown was the best pitcher on the Cubs, posting a sub-2 ERA through eight starts with a strikeout rate above 25% and a ground ball rate nearing 50%.
Bleacher Nation’s Brett Taylor made a similar comparison about what it would have taken for the Cubs to match the Dodgers for Skubal.
So, if you’re a Cubs fan, would you have been happy with getting Skubal for that kind of package?
