Tarik Skubal spoke as a Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher for the first time on August 2, 2026, addressing his trade from the Detroit Tigers. "Initial reaction, you know, there's a lot of emotion, right?" Skubal said of learning about the move.
Skubal noted that the Dodgers' organizational identity matches his own approach to the sport. "The entire focus of this organization is on winning championships and that's my entire focus of playing baseball," he said. He added that he has long admired how the club operates, stating simply that "they play the game the right way."
Skubal recalled that the trade became apparent following his start on a Wednesday and the loss that followed, saying "it became pretty clear what was going on, you know, later on after my start on Wednesday." He also mentioned that watching the Dodgers win the World Series in each of the last two years had an effect on him personally. "Watching that stuff on TV has kind of fueled me, you know, and those are the aspirations I want as a player," he said.
Skubal was traded from the Detroit Tigers, where he spent eight years, to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He explained that many of his former Tigers teammates remain close to him, noting that "a lot of those guys are like my best friends on and off the field." He acknowledged that he stays out of the business side of trade decisions, explaining that his agent, Tanner Scott, handles those matters. "I really don't try to get into the business, you know, side of things, you know, whatever. He makes all those decisions," Skubal said.
Skubal described meeting his new teammates in the dugout mid-game, calling the atmosphere memorable. He recounted seeing manager Dave Roberts' reaction when he introduced himself to the team, saying "seeing Dave and getting that reaction was pretty cool." He also described the energy from his new teammates as "awesome."
Skubal stated he is prepared to contribute immediately to his new club. "I'm ready to go out there and compete and give this organization and city everything that I've got," he said, closing his remarks on the trade.