The Tigers face a difficult challenge after trading ace Tarik Skubal to the Dodgers

(AP) — The Detroit Tigers said their goodbyes to ace Tarik Skubal and now must turn their focus to an uncertain final two months of the season as they try to make a playoff push without their best player. The Tigers traded the two-time reigning AL Cy Young Award winner to the Los Angeles Dodgers for three minor league prospects in a deal that was agreed to late Saturday night. “Baseball has a funny way of challenging you to deal with change,” Tigers manager A.J.

Hinch said before the series finale against the Athletics on Sunday. “Sometimes that’s difficult, sometimes it’s part of the game and part of the business. These guys are callous to some of the emotions that come with it.” Moving on without Skubal is the ultimate challenge.

The ninth-round draft pick in 2018 developed into one of the best pitchers in baseball, winning the Cy Young in 2024 and ’25 and posting a 2.40 ERA over the past three seasons. Skubal is 7-5 this season with a 2.79 ERA and 116 strikeouts in 96 2/3 innings and had a major impact in the clubhouse. But with him set to become a free agent after the season, the Tigers opted to trade him for minor league right-handers River Ryan and Brady Smith and outfielder Zyhir Hope.

Hinch said it was important for the players to appreciate what Skubal gave the team while still understanding the task ahead. So we have to be sort of cold about we got to move on and go play today’s game that he wasn’t going to impact despite the loss of his presence in our clubhouse,” Hinch said. “We have a ton of respect for what he brought every day, his preparation, his attitude, his desire to win.

That impact doesn’t leave with him as he gets on a plane to go to a different team. The day-to-day does, and we’re going to have to find a way to overcome it.” News of the trade broke during Detroit’s 8-6 win over the A’s on Saturday night with many players first hearing about it from fans near the dugout during the game. Skubal was back in the clubhouse beyond the center-field fence at the minor league stadium where the A’s play when he got the news, making it impossible for the players to get the news directly from him until after the game.

But they managed to focus on the game and come up with the win. “The team’s handled it really well,” first baseman Spencer Torkelson said. “Leading up to the trade, I thought…