RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 3 sourcesThe New York Yankees reportedly spoke with the Detroit Tigers about Tarik Skubal before Detroit completed its blockbuster trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
According to Bryan Hoch , Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said the Tigers centered their demands around one specific player New York refused to include.
“They set a high price that was something we were unable to get them off,” Cashman said. “It was a very specific ask, a certain player we weren’t willing to play with in that arena.”
Hoch suggested the player was likely George Lombard Jr.
Tigers Reportedly Wanted Yankees’ Top Prospect
Lombard is not just another promising player in New York’s farm system.
MLB Pipeline ranks the 21-year-old infielder as the No. 1 prospect in the Yankees organization and the No. 20 overall prospect in baseball . He is currently at Triple-A and carries a projected 2027 major-league arrival.
The Yankees selected Lombard with the 26th overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. MLB Pipeline grades his defense as his best tool and views him as a potential power-speed threat capable of remaining at shortstop.
New York’s refusal to move him appears to have ended any realistic path toward a Skubal trade.
Detroit Found Its Centerpiece Elsewhere
Once the Dodgers made Zyhir Hope available, the Tigers moved in a different direction.
Detroit ultimately sent Skubal to Los Angeles for Hope, River Ryan and Brady Smith. Hope immediately became one of the biggest additions to the Tigers’ farm system and represented the premium young position player Detroit had been seeking throughout negotiations.
The Yankees had the type of centerpiece the Tigers wanted.
They simply were not willing to trade him.
Bottom Line
The Tigers reportedly set a massive price for Tarik Skubal, and the Yankees were unwilling to meet it.
If George Lombard Jr. was Detroit’s demand, New York would have needed to surrender its top prospect and one of the 20 best prospects in baseball.
The Yankees said no.
The Dodgers eventually said yes to moving Zyhir Hope, and Skubal landed in Los Angeles.
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