Tigers Pitcher Acquired for Tarik Skubal Takes Apparent Shot at Dodgers

It's been two months since the Los Angeles Dodgers shocked the baseball world, trading for two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.

The Dodgers were always viewed as the frontrunners to trade for the southpaw pitcher; however, it was still hard to believe when it actually happened.

With the Dodgers' postseason approaching, Skubal is poised to play a vital role in the team's quest for a three-peat. As for Skubal's former team, the Detroit Tigers, they're watching the postseason from home.

The Tigers received what they believed was the best package for Skubal. Detroit acquired outfielder Zyhir Hope and right-handed pitchers Brady Smith and River Ryan.

The Dodgers added an ace they hope they can lock up after the 2026 season, and the Tigers retooled their farm system with high-upside talent.

Los Angeles came out as the clear winners in the trade in present times, but Ryan is doing his best to ensure the Tigers come out as the winner when all is said and done.

On top of that, he took a subtle shot at the Dodgers while discussing his transition to the Tigers organization.

“I think the transition, as far as being traded on the injured list and then switching to a whole other organization and continuing through that process, I think Detroit made it really easy," Ryan said in a recent conversation with Just Baseball. "I think it was definitely a lot more hands-on with the Detroit organization. I feel like there was a lot more care involved, which was fantastic."

“They are being really involved in the day-to-day with me,” he added. “They’re all watching my outings, my bullpens. I mean, that’s really it. They’re just really trying to be as involved as they can on a day-to-day basis.”

Ryan also said the transition from Los Angeles to Detroit was pretty easy, since he's been traded before.

“I think since I’ve been through the trading process before, I kind of knew what to expect,” Ryan said. “Transitioning over to another team, meeting all new people, becoming acquainted with everybody. That was pretty easy because I’ve been through it before and I had a reference."

How Did River Ryan’s Dodgers Tenure Unfold?

Ryan was supposed to be a standout pitcher for the Dodgers. Unfortunately for him, his time in Los Angeles was riddled with injuries.

He missed the entire 2025 season recovering from Tommy John surgery and later dealt with minor setbacks like a hamstring issue, prompting the Dodgers to be extremely cautious with his workload.

Ryan, 28, will now do his best to pan out in the big leagues with the Tigers. He made two starts with the Tigers in late-September, alloiwng two runs over 4.1 innings with six strikeouts.

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