Tarik Skubal Reacts to Dodgers Trade, Failing to Win World Series with Tigers in Emotional Video

While the trade isn't yet official, Tarik Skubal said his goodbyes to the Detroit Tigers ahead of his move to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported the two-time reigning world champions are acquiring the left-handed ace.

Skubal was alerted midway through Detroit's 8-6 win over the Athletics.

"There was a time where I got a phone call and I was like, 'I know what this is,'" he told reporters. "It didn't feel like it was the right time to go back out there."

Skubal reflected on his seven-year run in Detroit, which included a pair of playoff runs. The Tigers lost in the ALDS on both occasions.

"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," he said. "I truly did. That whole offseason I was never more motivated, and then to go in and lose Game 5 again, that failure kind of sparked more motivation to dig deeper and see how good you can truly be. The goal was always to win a World Series for the city and the organization that took a chance on me."

Nobody will blame Skubal for Detroit's failure to taste much playoff success the last few seasons. Even making the 2024 postseason was a bit of a fluke because the Tigers were a seller at the deadline, only to catch fire in the stretch run.

Still, fans in the Motor City will naturally look back on the Skubal era and wonder what could've been when he was one of MLB's best pitchers across a four-year span.

The nature of the season-ending loss to the Cleveland Guardians in 2024 was particularly bitter.

Ten times out of 10 you'd want Skubal on the mound in a winner-take-all situation. However, the Guardians blitzed him for five runs in the fifth inning of their 7-3 victory.

Maybe the Tigers have the nucleus of their next really good team with Hope and Ryan joining a roster that includes 2026 All-Star Kevin McGonigle and highly touted prospect Max Clark.

But it's going to be at least a few years before Detroit can seriously dream of winning a World Series.