The Los Angeles Dodgers traded three of the best prospects in their organization to acquire Tarik Skubal, and one of them has been struggling since the deal.
Zyhir Hope is the No. 25 prospect in all of baseball and was a top-five prospect in the Dodgers organization before the deal. However, he is just 1-for-27 since being dealt. The talented outfielder was hitting .293 for the Dodgers' Double-A affiliate.
Hope was the headline prospect going to Detroit in the deal for Skubal, who will be a free agent after the season ends. Last season, Hope had a .804 OPS across High-A and Double-A. This year, he has been in Double-A all season.
The Tigers have high hopes for Hope, and seeing him struggle early on in a new organization is not a great sign. However, it is still too early to tell if this is something to worry about or simply a slump. Hitters at all levels go through slumps, but the fact that he was involved in such a high-profile trade puts him in the spotlight, whether he likes it or not.
For the rest of his career, he will always be mentioned with Skubal, who is one of the best players in baseball. If Hope does not turn into a star, he will always be regarded as the bust the Tigers gave up Skubal for. It's a lot for a 21-year-old to take in, and it's no surprise that he hasn't gotten off to a scorching start for his new organization.
The trade is still fresh, but eventually he will move on and start playing like the elite player scouts think he can be.