The Los Angeles Dodgers reinforced their status as baseball's dominant power by acquiring Tarik Skubal ahead of Monday's trade deadline. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
The Dodgers were the only team that aggressively pursued the two-time American League Cy Young winner. This move did not compromise their pursuit of a third straight World Series title.
"It just seems like there's always blowback with us," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "People are passionate. We feel good about it. There's nothing that we did that no one else couldn't have done."
Skubal's arrival gives the Dodgers another powerful arm to an already loaded rotation. He has gone 7-5 with a 2.79 ERA and 116 strikeouts in 96 2/3 innings over 16 starts for the Detroit Tigers this season. He is scheduled to make his debut on Tuesday at the Chicago Cubs.
"We got better," reliever Edwin Díaz said. "We got, like I said, one of the best pitchers in the league, and now we have him as a teammate."
Having Skubal can allow the Dodgers to be cautious with Shohei Ohtani as he recovers from left knee soreness and a right biceps injury that have kept him from pitching since July 3. Ohtani will resume playing catch during the series against the Cubs.
"You can never predict the future, but if you said, 'Hey, place a bet on it,' I would be very confident placing it that he will be back pitching," president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said.
Skubal's presence further strengthens the Dodgers' credentials as they push to become the first National League team to three-peat. Their rotation includes proven playoff performers like Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Blake Snell.
Skubal has his own playoff track record, having gone 2-1 with a 2.04 ERA in six playoff starts over the past two postseasons. Friedman described his efforts last fall as "must-see TV."