Rival Tigers added two potential future thorns in Royals' side in Tarik Skubal blockbuster trade

The first major trade deadline domino finally came off the board last night after Tarik Skubal was finally traded. The Tigers have reportedly sent him to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for outfield prospect Zyhir Hope, right-handed pitching prospects River Ryan and Brady Smith. It's a hefty return for a rental arm like Skubal, but that's what happens when you're trading a highly sought after back-to-back Cy Young award winner.

The Royals will surely be glad to see the back of an arm like Skubal, who's terrorized the major leagues beyond just the AL Central. However, it definitely came at a price as the two most prominent prospects in both Hope and Ryan have serious potential to do damage for the Tigers in the future - much to the dismay of rivals like the Royals.

Hope is the best of the bunch, currently ranked as the 25th best prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline. He's a five tool threat and that has been on full display this season in Dodgers' Double-A ranks. He's slashing .293/.369/.530 with 23 homers, 87 RBI and 18 stolen bases, a 10.6% walk rate and 130 wRC+. Plus he's graded with a 60-grade arm and 55-grade field tool in the outfield and has the versatility to play all across it.

With an outfield that already consists of an All-Star in Riley Greene in left field and the high-profile rookie center fielder in Max Clark, potentially adding a future star in right field in Hope is an alarming thought.

Then, there's Ryan, who has made his big league debut already but was sidelined for all of 2025 after undergoing forearm surgery. However, the talent is still real for Ryan, as even as a near-28-year-old, Ryan is still ranked as a Top 100 prospect, according to Pipeline. He has a 65-grade fastball that can touch 100 mph with a promising four-pitch secondary arsenal, highlighted by a slider, curveball and cutter.

His 4.46 Triple-A ERA this season may not look like anything terribly exciting, however he's countered that with an exceptional 2.88 FIP and 27.2% K-rate. He immediately projects as near-future rotation option for Detroit, if not one now.

Could Royals be falling further down AL Central pecking order after Tarik Skubal trade?

It seems weird to think that when arguably the best pitcher in the major leagues leaves your division, you could fall lower in the pecking order, but that could very well be the case for the Royals.

The 2026 season has been a nightmare for Kansas City, with their depth being tested heavily. On paper, without the right moves for the future, even with a team led by Bobby Witt Jr., there's no guaranteeing that the Royals are a surefire bet to bounce back in 2027.

The Chicago White Sox may very well have completed their rebuild already as potential division champions this season. The Guardians have always been able to find ways to remain crafty and competitve despite being a smaller market team, aided of course by the presence of perennial MVP-hope José Ramírez. Then there's the Twins, who have been one of the shocks of the season and shaken their rebuilding title seemingly overnight and have even been buyers at this deadline.

Now that the Tigers have bought into a young core of Rookie of the Year hopeful Kevin McGonigle as well as Max Clark, Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter, Dillon Dingler and Jackson Jobe, as well as now Hope and Ryan, the Tigers look like they could remain as a postseason threat for years to come.

With a core of Bobby Witt Jr., Maikel Garcia, Carter Jensen and Jac Caglianone there's always hope for a brighter future. But with plenty of holes elsewhere, especially from a pitching standpoint, if they're not diligent in finding proper solutions, possibly even at the deadline, then it's just as easy to see the division moving on without them.

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