Zyhir Hope isn’t the underpay for Tarik Skubal many Tigers fans are assuming

Now that the dust has settled after the Tarik Skubal trade, we can better judge the deal and look deeper into what the Tigers got in return for the best pitcher in baseball.

The early consensus among the Tiger fanbase — and pretty much the rest of baseball — was that Detroit didn't get as much as they should have as the Dodgers gave up what people are treating like a bag of chips and an expired case of Big League Chew.

But the perceived “underpay” for Skubal isn’t as bad as people think. And it's time the conversation slowly shifts in that direction.

At a glance, a trio of Zyhir Hope, River Ryan, and Brady Smith for arguably the best pitcher in the world who’s still in his prime doesn’t seem like a fair return. You’d at least hope for two of the top prospects in baseball and maybe a third insurance prospect, but Detroit got two top-70 prospects and a third-round pick from three years ago.

That’s not too shabby when you consider that Skubal could very well be a two-month rental for the Dodgers and nothing more. There’s always a chance Skubal could decide to sign with a different team following the season, and if the Dodgers don’t win the World Series they would have essentially traded a top-25 prospect in baseball for nothing.

Los Angeles is obviously going all-in on a World Series this season, so the Dodgers had to give up some talent, but Scott Harris is catching way too much flak for landing a player like Hope.

Hope is going to give the Tigers’ lineup exactly what it needs when he gets to the majors presumably next season. He’s a legitimate five-tool player and is going to complete what should be an exciting young lineup on Opening Day 2027.

Zyhir Hope is being vastly overlooked in Tigers-Dodgers Tarik Skubal trade

While Skubal is Skubal and he’s obviously one of the best players in baseball, Hope deserves his flowers for being one of the best hitters in the minors.

The former 11th-round draft pick of the Chicago Cubs in 2023 immediately outperformed his expectations in years two and three, totaling 22 homers and 116 RBI in 188 games mostly in Single-A ball. But after getting promoted to Double-A ball in 2026, he’s been mashing. He’s hitting .286 this season with 23 home runs and 87 RBI in just 94 games. Not only that, but he’s already up to 18 steals on the season after swiping 27 bags in 2025.

If I had to nitpick, his average could be a little higher as he’s a career .281 hitter in the minors, and he strikes out a little too much, but he has all the tools necessary to become an MLB star.

Obviously having potential and living up to it are two different things, but there's a good chance he’s going to help Detroit build one of the best young lineups in baseball.

Just imagine the crew looking like this come 2027:

• Kerry Carpenter (28 years old)
• Dillon Dingler (27)
• Spencer Torkelson (26)
• Parker Meadows (26)
• Riley Greene (25)
• Colt Kieth (24)
• Kevin McGonigle (21)
• Max Clark (21)
• Zyhir Hope (21)

Obviously positions would have to be sorted out to make it work, but this is an incredible outlook. Every single one of those guys can hit for power, there’s a nice mix of speed, and most of them can hit for average, too.

Skubal likely wasn’t going to re-sign with the Tigers in the offseason, so they had to get something for him, and they got a guy who could be a 25-homer, 25-steal player (and he’s only 21). Don’t hit me with “yeah, but he was an 11th-rounder for a reason” because Skubal was a ninth-round pick.

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