Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal faced criticism last month following reports that he took an espresso machine he had purchased for the Detroit Tigers clubhouse to Los Angeles after being traded. Skubal, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, was traded to the Dodgers at the summer deadline.
Skubal addressed the situation during his return to Detroit in late August, telling reporters, "I did buy it, but I guess I'll wear it." He also revealed that his wife, Jessica, encouraged him to take the approximately $10,000 espresso machine with them to Los Angeles, noting it was "too expensive to just run the charge back."
Casey Mize, a former teammate of Skubal's with the Tigers, defended the pitcher's decision in comments to The San Diego Union-Tribune's Annie Heilbrunn. Mize, who was also traded to the National League West at the deadline and now plays for the Padres, explained his perspective.
"I'm gonna have my boy Skubes' back here for a second," Mize said. "Because in spring training I bought a little $200 machine because we didn't like some of our coffee options in spring. We needed some espresso. And he said, 'I'm gonna get us a really nice one in Detroit.'" Mize continued, "It took a while for it to ship and get in. He had just gotten it dialed in, I think maybe a month before the trade deadline. And this machine is like $10,000. It's a very expensive machine. He had just got it the way he wanted. So he was like, 'Yeah, sorry, I'm gonna take it with me.' Which I totally understand." Mize, who was traded to the Padres, still offered support for Skubal. "It's kind of blown up a little bit," Mize commented on the situation. "So thanks, Skube, for getting that machine for us. And I understand you taking it with you. It's OK by me."
Skubal is eligible to become a free agent after the 2026 season.