Tarik Skubal, the reigning two-time Cy Young Award winner, made his first public appearance as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday. Dressed in blue sweatpants, a cut-off blue hoodie, and a blue “LA” branded headband, Skubal spoke about his excitement to join the team, despite his emotional departure from the Detroit Tigers on Saturday.

Emotional Exit and Excitement for the New Chapter

Skubal spent about 15 minutes inside a stadium club at Wrigley Field answering questions, reflecting on his eight-year tenure with the Tigers and expressing his enthusiasm for the new opportunity.

“There’s a lot of emotion,” Skubal said. “I spent eight years with the Detroit Tigers, and that place will always be special to me no matter what. But in the same breath, I’m excited to be here, I’m excited to compete with these guys. And when you watch them from across the way, or just see them do their thing on TV, you just have a lot of respect, because they play the game the right way.”

Focus on Winning and Pressure as a Motivation

Skubal praised the Dodgers for their focus on winning championships and expressed his desire to contribute to their quest for a third-straight World Series title. He described the pressure of high expectations as a privilege that motivates him to be great.

“That pressure has always been a privilege to me,” Skubal said. “It’s what fuels me. It’s what motivates me to be great.”

Skubal’s rise to prominence has been significant, transitioning from a late-blooming ninth-round draft pick to one of the most dominant pitchers in the game. However, his move to the Dodgers has drawn criticism from some fans and analysts, who view the team as a dominant force in MLB.

Skubal’s Stance on Public Criticism

When asked about the public criticisms surrounding his trade, Skubal expressed a clear stance.

“I don’t really sympathize with people that blame the Dodgers for anything they’ve done,” Skubal said. “They’ve developed a really good organization. They draft well. They acquire talent really well. They retain talent. It’s a winning organization. Now the complaints seem to be [happening] because they’ve won the last two World Series. I don’t think it was like that three years ago. So I don’t really sympathize with people that are complaining. Because the Dodgers do all the right things.”

The Dodgers have a history of acquiring top-tier talent like Skubal, and this move was seen as one of the most significant at this year’s trade deadline. With Skubal now on board, attention turns to his potential impact and his future plans, including the upcoming free agency period.

“I’m really not gonna talk about the business side of what’s happening with me,” Skubal said when asked about his looming free-agent process. “Obviously, I understand free agency. But I’d really like the message to be just, I’m excited to be here and learn everything about the Dodgers and all these guys here. You know, develop relationships and win as many baseball games as I can.”

Skubal’s journey with the Dodgers will begin in earnest on Tuesday, when he makes his team debut just days after his trade was finalized.

“I’m going to get with the pitching coaches and catcher and kind of go over a plan of scouting, what I like to do, what they like to call, all that stuff,” he said. “I’m very excited about going over all that and getting ready to go out there and compete.”

Skubal emphasized that he doesn’t see himself as the missing piece for the Dodgers’ pursuit of a three-peat. “They’ve been a pretty good baseball team without me,” he quipped. He wants to be a “chameleon” in the clubhouse to “fit right into these guys and just gel with them.”

“I’m excited to lean on these guys and learn the game of baseball and what it takes to win a World Series,” Skubal said. “I’m excited about all that stuff, so it’s extremely motivating for me.”