Tarik Skubal has settled into his new role with the Los Angeles Dodgers following a late-season trade from the Detroit Tigers, yet the left-hander’s recent comments suggest his connection to the Motor City remains strong.
Just days after the deal that sent the back-to-back Cy Young Award winner west, Skubal made his Dodgers debut and delivered a solid outing of six innings with two earned runs and six strikeouts.
Still, as free agency approaches at the end of the season, the 29-year-old has made clear that Detroit has not been erased from his future considerations.
Speaking on Barstool Sports’ “Pardon My Take” podcast, Skubal reflected on how the year unfolded differently than he had imagined. He entered the season believing the Tigers had assembled a legitimate World Series contender through their offseason moves.
That vision of finishing his career in Detroit and bringing a championship to the city no longer aligns with the current reality, but he stopped short of ruling out a reunion.
“This wasn’t the way the season was supposed to go,” Skubal said. “Going into the offseason, the people that we acquired through free agency and who we signed, I’m like this is the World Series team. … I would love to play my whole career in Detroit and hopefully the negotiations can pick back up in November once the playoffs are done and we’ll see where that goes. I’d love to return … so hopefully they’re involved in November.”
Those words carry weight given Skubal’s deep roots with the Tigers. He debuted in 2020 and spent six and a half seasons developing into one of the game’s premier pitchers.
Along the way he collected two Cy Young Awards, two All-Star selections, and a pair of ERA titles while posting a career 3.04 ERA, a 61-43 record, and more than 1,000 strikeouts. He reached the 1,000-strikeout mark in his final start for Detroit, adding a personal milestone to an already emotional departure.
The trade itself was widely anticipated as the Tigers looked to secure future assets rather than risk losing Skubal for nothing in free agency. Yet his openness to returning keeps the door ajar.
Negotiations that stalled earlier could resume once the postseason concludes, and Skubal has indicated he would welcome Detroit’s participation in those talks. For a franchise still building toward sustained contention, the possibility of bringing back its former ace carries both sentimental and competitive appeal.
Whether that happens remains uncertain. Skubal will first focus on helping the Dodgers in their push for another title, then evaluate the full landscape of free agency.
For now, his comments serve as a reminder that the bond formed over half a decade in Detroit has not disappeared simply because the uniform has changed. Fans on both sides will watch closely to see if the story comes full circle in the months ahead.
