The Detroit Tigers traded Tarik Skubal to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday. The two-time American League Cy Young winner held back tears while reacting to the trade on the same day. The reaction garnered mixed reactions on social media.
Skubal was the Tigers’ ninth-round pick in the 2018 MLB draft. He debuted for the team on Aug. 18, 2020. The two-time MLB All-Star spoke emotionally to reporters after the Dodgers and Tigers finalized the trade.
“The goal is to always win the World Series. You know, for the organization, for the city, “Skubal said. “So, I love all those guys in there. They are still my best friends, you know. Yeah, it will be tough for sure.”
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When reporters asked how he felt about the Dodgers, Skubal held back tears before he replied.
“Yeah, it’s exciting. You know, I’m excited. They got a good group, you head everything across the way. I’m excited though,” he said.
Some fans on social media empathized with Skubal. They felt his reaction was genuine.
“I’m tearing up just watching this. 🥹 You can see his heart was in Detroit.,” a fan wrote.
“You could see just how much it meant to him. Wishing Tarik Skubal all the best in this new chapter. 👏,” a second fan commented.
“You can tell this one meant a lot to him. Wishing him nothing but success in LA,” another fan wrote.
However, other fans accused Skubal of faking emotions. They alleged he already had plans to leave Detroit and that playing for the Dodgers was more lucrative financially and career-wise.
“Stop with the fake emotions. He was leaving for his bag anyway,” a fan commented.
“As he wipes his tears away with millions of dollars. Baseball has a super monopoly and that’s called the Dodgers,” a fan noted.
“He’s not emotional. He knows (Dodgers) going to pay him the cheddar,” another fan commented.
$325M Dodgers star reacts to Tarik Skubal trade
Los Angeles Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto expresses surprise at Tarik Skubal’s trade move. Yamamoto, who is in the third year of his 12-year, $325 million contract he signed in December 2023, spoke about the trade on Sunday after the Dodgers vs Red Sox game.
“I was reading some rumors about that, but that it actually happened, I’m pretty surprised,” Yamamoto said via interpreter (Timestamp 1:40 ).
Yamamoto pitched a strong eight innings in his start for the Dodgers on Saturday. He allowed four hits, three runs and one walk, while striking out three Red Sox sluggers.
However, the Dodgers lost the game 3-2, courtesy of two solo home runs from Ceddane Rafaela. Meanwhile, Teoscar Hernandez’s two-run homer was all the offense the Dodgers could offer.
Edited by Safeer M S