CHICAGO — Tarik Skubal continues to be one of the most talked-about names from this year’s trade deadline, but now the Kingman native is speaking out about the social media whirlwind that followed his move from the Detroit Tigers to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
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Jul 29, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) pitches in the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
News broke Saturday that the back-to-back American League Cy Young Award winner would be headed to Los Angeles, making it the biggest move of the trade deadline. For Skubal, the moment marked another major step in his career, one that began in Arizona as a standout pitcher and former Diamondbacks draft pick.
The blockbuster deal quickly sparked conversation across baseball, with many questioning how the Dodgers continued adding elite talent to an already loaded roster. But for Skubal, the outside noise surrounding the move hasn’t changed his perspective.
Tarik Skubal doesn’t sympathize with Dodgers critics after being traded to the back-to-back champions 👀 pic.twitter.com/87FKlmuIrC
— ESPN (@espn) August 4, 2026
“Every team could trade for me, every team could make that acquisition,” Skubal told ESPN. “And I don’t really sympathize with people that blame the Dodgers for anything they’ve done… Now the complaints seem to be because they’ve won the last two World Series. You know, I don’t think it was like that three years ago. So I don’t really sympathize with people that are complaining because the Dodgers do all the right things.”
The Dodgers have quietly become somewhat of the “villains” of MLB, as some fans like to call them. Over the last three seasons, the organization has added some of the biggest names in baseball, including Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell, Kyle Tucker, Edwin Díaz and now Skubal.
Apr 29, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the seventh inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
That collection of talent has helped Los Angeles win back-to-back World Series titles, but Skubal doesn’t believe the organization has done anything wrong.
Instead, the reigning Cy Young Award winner believes the Dodgers are simply doing what it takes to win and remain competitive. He said success isn’t about collecting talent for the sake of it, but about making the right moves to build a championship roster.
Now, the Kingman native will begin the next chapter of his career Tuesday when he takes the mound for Los Angeles against the Chicago Cubs in his first start wearing Dodger blue.
May 17, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports
While the trade has sparked plenty of discussion throughout baseball, Skubal’s focus remains on competing at the highest level and bringing a third straight championship to Los Angeles.
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Wendy Lopez is a reporter for Burn City Sports. You can follow her on her X account, @wlopezde
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