Sources: Dodgers land Tarik Skubal in blockbuster trade with Tigers - ESPN

LOS ANGELES — For as much as they might have downplayed the possibility behind closed doors, the Los Angeles Dodgers were long seen by rival executives as overwhelming favorites to land generational ace Tarik Skubal. Their farm system was too good, their goals were too lofty, their rotation had become too uncertain.

On Saturday night, a day and a half before the trade deadline, they pulled it off.

The Dodgers acquired Skubal, the reigning back-to-back American League Cy Young Award winner, from the Detroit Tigers for a package of three prospects: outfielder Zyhir Hope and right-handers River Ryan and Brady Smith, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Skubal, a 29-year-old pending free agent, will now headline what was arguably already the best rotation in the sport. Alongside him will be Yoshinobu Yamamoto, making a strong case for a Cy Young of his own, followed by Blake Snell, Shohei Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow, all of whom are in varying stages of returning to the mound from injury.

The Dodgers had long touted their depth as a reason they didn't need Skubal. Snell, who has made one start this season, is expected to rejoin the rotation after his next rehab outing. Glasnow, out since May 6 because of back spasms, will begin a minor league rehab assignment next week. And though Ohtani is still troubled by a sore left knee that seems to bother him only on the mound, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said earlier this week that he fully expects him to pitch in October.

The Game 1 starter, though, will be Skubal, who might be the best pitcher in the world.

Skubal boasts a 2.79 ERA in 16 starts this year, striking out 116 batters and issuing 14 walks in 96⅔ innings. The only thing that could stop him were bone