Category: Baseball

The Cubs added veteran right-hander Kevin Gausman in a deal with the Blue Jays on Sunday that they pulled off less than 24 hours before Monday’s MLB trade deadline, The Post’s Jon Heyman confirmed. 

It is the second trade that the Cubs and Blue Jays have pulled off ahead of the deadline and, as of Sunday night, had still not been finalized, The Athletic reported. 

The Blue Jays are believed to be getting a pair of prospects in outfielder Brett Bateman and infielder Ty Southisene as part of the trade, according to the outlet. 

Gausman joins the Cubs amid a season that hasn’t necessarily lived up to his previous campaigns. The righty has a 4.38 ERA in 23 starts this year for Toronto and a 5-10 record, while striking out 127 batters in that span. 

The 35-year-old starter is in the final year of a five-year, $110 million contract, during which he has been one of the best pitchers in the majors during the span. 

Only Dylan Cease and Zack Wheeler had more strikeouts over the last five years since Gausman joined the Blue Jays in 2022, and prior to this season, he had five consecutive seasons where he posted an ERA under 3.90. 

The Cubs are hoping that Gausman puts up the performances that saw the Blue Jays give him the ball in six appearances during the club’s run to the World Series in 2025 and post a 2.93 ERA. 

Gausman is joining a rotation that includes Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga and David Peterson.

Southisene was a fourth-round pick in 2024 and was hitting .311 in Class-A ball, while Bateman was taken in the eighth round in 2023 and was hitting .312 for Triple-A Iowa. 

The Cubs are 6.5 games back of the NL Central-leading Brewers and they have a four-game hold of the top NL wild card spot. 

You have been waiting for the Cubs to acquire a starting pitcher, and Sunday night, they have done so (Bluesky link):

Per Josh’s pre-deadline ranking of Cubs prospects, those are the No. 13 (Ty Southisene) and No. 19 (Brett Bateman) prospects in the Cubs organization. MLB Pipeline ranks them 13th and 21st, respectively.

This is, I believe, a fair deal for a 35-year-old pitcher who is a pending free agent, so this is a rental. The Cubs would be on the hook for slightly more than $7 million of Gausman’s $23 million deal for this year. (This might also account for some of the “cash considerations” in the Jameson Taillon deal with the Jays announced earlier today.)

Gausman has a 4.38 ERA and 1.288 WHIP in 23 starts this year and 127.1 innings. His K rate and walk rate are about the same as they’ve been the last couple of years, and with 50 games remaining, that means likely 10 starts in a Cubs uniform for him.

His last start was Saturday against the Cardinals and he allowed nine hits and one run in 5.2 innings. Interestingly enough, his first start for the Cubs could wind up being against his old team, as the Blue Jays will be playing a makeup game Thursday at Wrigley Field — and it’s possible his opponent could be Taillon.

The Cubs absolutely crushed Gausman June 19 at Wrigley, scoring seven runs in two innings, including a grand slam by Carson Kelly. Fortunately, he won’t be facing the Cubs hitters anymore.

Okay, it’s your turn.

At the moment, that’s all we know. Shi Davidi, among others, is reporting it.

No word on who is coming to the Jays. We’ll update as we learn more.

Jim Bowen tells us:

Cubs get: RHP Kevin Gausman 5-10 4.38 ERA
Blue Jays get: OF Brett Bateman 8th round '23 .312/.431/.422 18 doubles 20 steals; INF Tate Southisene 1st Round '25 Age 19 .278/.408/.468 18 doubles 4 triples 12 HR 45 SB.
Trade Grades: Cubs: B- Blue Jays: A-

— Jim Bowden⚾️ (@JimBowdenGM) August 3, 2026

So they get:

• Brett Bateman an outfielder. Cubs #13 Prospect
• Tate Southisene, an infielder. Cubs #21 Prospect

Bateman is 24, a left-handed batter. Very fast and a good fielder. MLB Pipeline (who has him their #21 prospect) says:

Bateman is a study in extremes from the left side of the plate. He almost never chases pitches or swings and misses, especially in the zone, but he also rarely hits balls hard or in the air. Just 5-foot-10 and 170 pounds, he builds his offensive game around shooting grounders into gaps in the defense and getting on base at the expense of any power. He slugged just .324 last year, with one homer and 16 extra-base hits in 107 games.

An intelligent player who understands his strengths and weaknesses, Bateman translates his plus-plus speed into beating out hits, stealing bases and covering wide swaths of ground in center field. A two-way player before elbow surgery following his freshman season with the Gophers, he has regained solid arm strength and recorded 14 assists in his first 136 pro starts in center. His biggest backers think he’s a lesser version of Orioles 2023 first-rounder Enrique Bradfield Jr., while more skeptical evaluators think his ceiling is Myles Straw.

Hmmm I’m hopeful his ceiling is a little better than Straw.

Southisene (#28 on MLB Pipeline’s list) is fast, not as fast as Bateman. He was a 4th round pick in 2024. They say:

More advanced than most prep products, Southisene has a disciplined approach and a penchant for using the opposite field. He has a good feel for the barrel, though his relatively flat right-handed swing and lack of strength may cap his power production at 10 homers per season and he has made next to no impact at the plate in his pro debut. He lapses into swinging for the fences at times and must recognize that his role is to make contact and get on base.

Southisene’s instincts allow him to make the most of his solid speed and twitchy athleticism on the bases and in the field. He has quick hands and feet and he makes up for merely average arm strength with a fast release. Though he was drafted as a shortstop, Chicago’s system is overflowing with shortstop prospects, so he has spent 2025 at second base.

Bateman, 24, has played 81 games at Triple-A Iowa, hitting .312/.431/.422 with 3 home runs, 20 steals (caught three times). He’s played all three outfield spots, but mostly center and is said to be a very good defensive outfielder.

Southisene, 19, has played in A, A+ and AA this year. playing short and second. He’s hitting .278/.408/.468 with 12 home runs across the levels.

Really sad to see Gausman go. The return seems ok at first glance, both good defensive players, good speed and get on base (in the minors).

Where there’s smoke, they say, there’s usually fire.

And on Saturday, as signs first publicly emerged that the Dodgers were making a move in the Tarik Skubal sweepstakes, the team’s behind-the-scenes talks with the Tigers were indeed reaching a fever pitch.

A day earlier, the organizations had begun discussing a trade for Skubal — the American League’s reigning two-time Cy Young Award winner and this year’s top deadline target — in earnest for the first time.

By Saturday evening, the Dodgers’ front office had grown so confident in its chances of landing the left-handed ace that president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman dropped a hint to manager Dave Roberts.

“Right before the first pitch, I heard that it was pretty much done,” Roberts recounted on Sunday, as the rest of the baseball world was still digesting the Dodgers’ latest blockbuster acquisition. “There were obviously things that had to go on with medicals, so it wasn’t actually even finalized. I just heard that it was pretty much close.”

Over the next three hours, the Dodgers successfully pushed the deal across the finish line, ironing out a package that included three minor-league prospects — outfielder Zyhir Hope, and pitchers River Ryan and Brady Smith — in exchange for the majors’ most dominant pitcher over the last three seasons. 

“Being on our side, you didn’t really know how long the process was gonna go, whether it was gonna go into Sunday, into Monday,” Friedman said. “But, obviously, we were of the mind to be aggressive and try to get a deal done.”

A day later, the reverberations of the trade were still rattling throughout the baseball industry, most of which had never bought the Dodgers’ repeated Skubal-related bluffs in recent weeks.

Though the team had insisted publicly and privately that it didn’t need Skubal, and that it wouldn’t make an all-in push to get the pending free agent at inflated deadline prices, rival teams always saw the Dodgers as his most likely landing spot. 

The expectation was that Friedman & Co. would make a strong push in pursuit of a third straight World Series championship.

Friedman and Roberts effectively confirmed that on Sunday, saying the club had decided early on to target the 29-year-old superstar, whom they felt was the one true “needle-mover” on this year’s deadline market.

“Skubal or nothing” was the way Roberts put it.

“Our mindset,” Friedman added, “was we’re going to be really aggressive for one player.”

That didn’t mean the Dodgers were certain they would get Skubal.

As recently as the start of this week, it was unclear if the Tigers would even move their star pitcher as they began clawing their way back in the playoff picture. On Thursday, one team source estimated only a 25% likelihood of a deal. 

But after Detroit blew a 7-0 lead in what became Skubal’s Tigers finale on Wednesday, a trade finally started to feel like an inevitability.

And over the next 72 hours, the Dodgers didn’t just hang around “the backboard,” as Friedman has quipped about so many of their other star additions over the last half-decade.

This time, armed with a war chest of prospects and few other roster holes to fill, they wanted to try to box everybody else out.

“With where our core is this moment in time,” Friedman said, “erring on the side of aggressive made the most sense right now.”

The first signs of apparent movement came just as the Dodgers began their Saturday night game against the Red Sox, when their Double-A affiliate in Tulsa scratched the highly touted Hope (who is the team’s No. 4 prospect and widely ranked as a top-50 talent around the sport) as well as fellow outfielder prospect Kendall George from their lineup.

Sources initially described that decision as precautionary — the Dodgers playing it safe with two young talents as trade deadline conversations intensified.

But internally, a Hope-centric package had already taken shape.

(An aside: George was also believed to be the subject of trade discussions the Dodgers were having with clubs, but a source noted he was also dealing with a knee issue, having only come back from a freak injury earlier this season).

By the third inning at Dodger Stadium, buzz about the deal picked up further steam.

At that point, the Dodgers were seeking medical records and doing “due diligence,” according to two sources. The Post’s Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman also reported that the team’s package was believed to be topping those of fellow Skubal contenders, including the Brewers and Yankees. 

“Stay tuned,” one person with knowledge of the team’s plans said.

The Dodgers had maintained interest in other players throughout the process, according to sources.

One contingency was Mets starter (and former Yankees closer) Clay Holmes, who could have been a swingman for a Dodgers team that could use reinforcements in the bullpen. The team was reviewing reports for other pitching targets, too.

Still, Skubal remained their primary focus, with Friedman indicating the Dodgers never seriously engaged with any other teams about potential alternatives. And at some point during Saturday’s game, a final deal was struck including two young pitching pieces from the Dodgers’ well-regarded farm system.

That none of the Dodgers’ active big-league arms were included came as a surprise.

There had long been an assumption that the Tigers would want someone from their current rotation, with Emmet Sheehan coming to be seen as the likeliest candidate.

That’s why, when Sheehan was conspicuously absent from the Dodgers’ dugout during the middle innings of their eventual Saturday night loss, industry speculation piqued. It’s not unusual for starters to return to the clubhouse on days they aren’t pitching. But on this occasion, it fueled growing rumors he was headed out the door.

Instead, as Sheehan said from his locker after the game, no one had informed him of any pending trade situation.

Rather, the Tigers ultimately agreed to Ryan (the uber-talented but often-injured 27-year-old right-hander who has been sidelined by a hamstring problem in Triple-A) and Smith (a raw-but-promising 21-year-old flamethrower who has yet to climb above Single-A). 

That rounded out what rival evaluators described as a modest — albeit, for what is still a rental player, understandable — package that the Tigers hope includes plenty of long-term upside.

“We gave up a lot of talent,” Friedman insisted. “Those guys are really good.”

But for what the Dodgers hope is the final piece of their three-peat puzzle, they were more than happy to oblige for another marquee transaction.

“Whenever there’s a star-level player that is available that can really shift championship odds,” Friedman said, “those are the moments that we’ll be more aggressive.”

The way Miguel Rojas put it on Sunday, the Dodgers’ ascension to dynasty status has been built, in part, on sacrifice.

There have been memorable examples, like when Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani played through debilitating injuries in the 2024 postseason, or the team’s bullpen was run into the ground to overcome starting pitching absences that October, or when Rojas himself pushed through a side problem to hit the game-tying home run in Game 7 of last year’s Fall Classic.

There have been smaller reminders daily, as well, with the team’s intangible traits tying together its record-setting payroll in recent years.

Thus, when players learned that the club had acquired two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal on Saturday night, it was a sign to Rojas of the front office’s commitment to upholding that standard.

“I really appreciate the front office and ownership that we have because they really committed the same way that we commit every single day to put our body on the line,” Rojas said. “It’s not just the players doing anything that they can to put themselves out there and play every single day, regardless of what it’s gonna look like in the future. The front office is doing the same thing, and not being comfortable with just winning one or two championships.”

“We are always confident,” he added, “the guys in the front office are going to do whatever it takes to put us in the best position to win.”

Such was the sentiment echoing around the Dodgers’ clubhouse on Sunday, as the team awaited Skubal’s arrival in Los Angeles before its series finale against the Red Sox.

As has become custom for a franchise full of All-Star players and future Hall of Famers, members of the roster were swarmed by reporters for reactions to Saturday’s trade.

Mookie Betts noted how familiar such moves have become in recent years, going back to his procurement before the start of the 2020 season.

“We want to win,” he said. “That was the whole point of when I signed here in 2020. This is what they said they were going to do, and they’ve stuck to their word.”

Freeman, another in what has become a long line of marquee additions, marveled at the way the organization has made big splashes feel almost expected.

“Pretty amazing,” he said. “Our front office again went out there and got the best player on the trade market. It’s fun to be a part of an organization that tries to win every single year.”

One of the team’s most recent big-name signings, closer Edwin Díaz, smiled as he experienced the scene for his first time in Dodger blue.

“The Dodgers always do something to get better,” he said. “So as a player, I think I was expecting that.”

Kiké Hernández, among the longest-tenured fixtures in the room, simply flashed a double thumbs-up at the mention of Skubal’s name.

“Yay!” he proclaimed cheerily.

News of Saturday’s transaction, which was first reported by The Post’s Jon Heyman, broke just as many Dodgers players were leaving the stadium on Saturday night.

Freeman said he was driving with his kids out of the ballpark’s parking lot when his wife, Chelsea, called him.

“She was the one that broke the news to me,” he said with a laugh.

Betts was also on his way home when his phone began to light up.

“I didn’t even know,” he said. “But it was cool.”

Admittedly, most of the Dodgers’ current stars hadn’t been preoccupied by Skubal rumors. By now, they’ve grown used to letting their front office — which had downplayed their pursuit of the left-handed ace in recent weeks — operate in secrecy before pulling off repeated stunners.

“When you look at our team now, you could probably just say our trade deadline is getting [currently injured pitchers] Blake Snell and Tyler [Glasnow] back, and hopefully [currently injured catcher] Will [Smith] back,” Freeman said. “But for them to still go get the best guy on the trade market … it gives us a great chance to win another championship. That’s all we’re trying to do here. And they see that.”

Indeed, beyond everything Skubal will provide on the mound, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said his aggressiveness was also spurred by the clubhouse culture the Dodgers have created.

“When you walk in this clubhouse before the game, every guy is doing something to help us win a game that night. And that level of commitment I think is rare, and I think is unusual,” Friedman said. “For us, it’s about supporting that, backing that up as much as we can.”

After yet another major acquisition, the move had its intended initial effect.

“It’s special to be part of,” Freeman said.

The trade deadline is upon us. Who is your pie in the sky preferred choice for Hazen to acquire?

James Attwood: I’m not sure there is one. I think the best “reasonable” target (which may well be far beyond Arizona’s reach) is Reid Detmers. He’s a quality starter who slots easily into the top half of Arizona’s rotation and stays there even if the good version of Corbin Burnes ever rejoins the rotation in the future. The big thing about a Detmers deal is it also addresses the lack of starting pitching moving forward, as Soroka and Gallen (at the minimum) are both gone come November. He’s also still under control beyond the likely lost 2027 season.

Makakilo: Freddy Peralta.

Ben: I think someone like Hunter Greene would be a really interesting acquisition because of the amount of team control he still has remaining and the profile he strikes. The team definitely needs help in the rotation after Rodriguez and his most improbable run at Cy Young contention. But Greene would help for this season as well as future ones where the rotation is even more questionable. Of course, the asking price from the Reds will be substantially higher than other starting pitchers so Hazen would have to feel pretty comfortable with Greene’s injury history and ability to keep him healthy.

ISH95: Well the pie in the sky acquisition is gone now. Thanks Dodgers. But I wasn’t really thrilled about the idea of picking Skubal up anyway. That being said, I don’t think there are many other crazy acquisitions, at least in the rental market. Players with longer term contracts would fit the bill now, but I’m less aware of those type players who might be available.

Spencer: Jose Soriano. Control, knows how to pitch, what’s not to like?

DBacksEurope: One choice wouldn’t suffice. If I could dream, I’d say Shohei Ohtani but I think it is more probable we land on Mars this year. Yordan Alvarez is another impossible player to get. If you look at players that are pending free agents or to become next year, and with Skubal off the board, and looking at a position of need, I think either Sandy Alcantara or Joe Ryan would be great acquisitions. They will be free agents after 2027.

Justin: I know the Dbacks have been linked to Freddy Peralta, so maybe him. Or Casey Mize. Mason Miller? LMAO….Yeah, right.

1AZFan1: Kyle Tucker. I’m told the Dodgers have so many elite outfield prospects that an underperforming Tucker could be replaced easily. They will probably even pay most of his remaining salary. /s

Who is a more realistic acquisition for the Diamondbacks to pursue?

James Attwood: Maybe Freddy Peralta? Honestly though, I expect his price tag to acquire to also be too high for Arizona to meet. A more realistic option, and coming from the same team, might be Clay Holmes. Sure, he comes with some durability question marks, but so did (and still does) Michael Soroka. As a pure rental who has only made nine starts this year, Holmes should be reasonable to acquire.

Makakilo: Two under-the-radar pitcher acquisitions (via trades with the Angels). Starting pitcher Reid Detmers, 101 ERA+, age 27, under arbitration through the 2028 season. Relief pitcher Sam Bachman, 99 ERA+, age 26, prearb, under arbitration through the 2030 season.

Ben: I think someone in the Reid Detmers or Kevin Gausman tier of starting pitchers is more realistic. Finding an upgrade in the rotation is probably the easiest single change the front office could make because of the cascading series of impacts it would make in the bullpen and the team as a whole. Sadly, the next most realistic scenario is simply standing pat and hoping that players returning from injury will be enough to boost the team back into the playoffs for the first time in three years. It’s not a bad bet because of the roster holes the team has in the rotation and in the lineup, the complicated and uber-competitive nature of the National League, and the number of theoretical buyers around the league increasing the asking prices. But it would be a risk to put your hopes into a series of players who are returning from serious injury to help carry you into the playoffs.

ISH95: I think Casey Mize is a good target for the team, and Gambo linked them to him Saturday morning. Especially if Skubal’s going price is indicative of what the Tigers are asking for their players.

Spencer: Casey Mize. He’s got upside and he’s a rental from a team that doesn’t value good returns for their players.

DBacksEurope: I floated the name of Camilo Doval in a comment the other day. I thought it was a pretty realistic acquisition to do, with quite some upside and under control until the end of 2027. Well, Pittsburgh thought the same. With no other realistic and potentially impactful relievers that fit my definition of “trade line acquisition” (rental or 1 extra year left) and with a lot of “quality” pitching potentially returning in August and September, I think the focus will be on a left-handed bat and a position with need (1B). I think a rental like Arraez makes too much sense, but maybe that is why that trade won’t happen, besides him playing for another NL West team.

Justin: Probably some mid tier SP and bullpen depth. A 1B would be nice.

1AZFan1: I’m just hoping for an innings-eating, 5ish ERA starter. I’m sorry, I don’t really have a name, but that general type is kinda what I’m thinking. Cheap and necessary addition.

What’s the biggest surprise, MLB-wide, you think we’ll see at the deadline this year?

James Attwood: Whatever the return is for Hunter Greene should the Reds move him at the deadline. The whole world expects the Tigers to get themselves a haul for Skubal. Detmers will likewise return the angels a haul, assuming Mozeliak doesn’t make yet another strange decision like he did with the Silseth trade.

Makakilo: What if three teams in contention for the NL WIld Card (Nats, Cards, and Marlins) sell at the trade deadline? On the morning of 1 August, they were between 1.5 and 3 games back in the standings. They may choose to add value instead of chase the playoffs. If contending teams give up, that will be the surprise, which would nevertheless be reasonable to expect. The Nats would be the biggest surprise because in July they acquired Tom Cosgrove and Connelly Early, each of which should help them compete.

Ben: Tarik Skubal will not be traded, the Tigers fail to make the playoffs, and the only return the Tigers get is a compensation draft pick. Maybe those second two results aren’t that surprising given where Detroit finds itself in the standings, but I’m pretty surprised a deal still hasn’t emerged with the sheer number of potential suitors and the playoff odds for the team where they are. [Ed. note] Answer submited 8/1 at 2:59 Arizona time.

ISH95: No one within 3 games of the NL Wild Card sells. All major acquisitions will come from the bottom three NL teams and other non-contending AL WC teams.

Spencer: I think we’ll see a lot of MLB names change hands in the same deals. Prospects aren’t iffier to take on when you don’t know what the system will look like after the lost 2027 season.

DBacksEurope: Anything that goes to the Dodgers isn’t a surprise no more, so I will say that Gausman and Varsho moving to Atlanta was a big surprise. Rutschmann to the Yankees comes in at a good second place. I hadn’t expected the Padres to go for Robbie Ray either, so that would be my number 3.

1AZFan1: I was going to answer Skubal to a non-Dodgers team but….oh well.

Do you think the Diamondbacks will stay under the luxury tax threshold? Or will new players push them past that for the first time in franchise history?

James Attwood: I don’t see any scenario in which they willingly go over the luxury tax threshold. The resulting penalties would cripple the organization moving forward. Besides, they don’t really have the trade chips to add too many players. A single solid acquisition will cost under $6 million, so they should be fine, especially if they move anyone from the veteran roster.

Makakilo: Yes! They will stay under the threshold becuase they are competing to be in the playoffs, not to win the World Series (although anything is possible in the Playoffs).

Ben: I add to look up the luxury tax threshold (it’s $244 million for anyone else who didn’t know off the top of their head) and given the team’s total payroll of ~$231 million, it would take a pretty hefty contract or set of contracts to bring them over it. It would take a Pete Alonso or Mookie Betts level of contract to singlehandedly take the team above that threshold and even a set of players would make it difficult. I also suspect that Kendrick (and by extension Hazen) are very motivated to stay below that number so I think it’s unlikely they do unless a deal they can’t turn away materializes somehow.

ISH95: Everything I’ve read is that they have about $6-7 million to spend, so I think you may be using outdated payroll numbers there. That being said, I think that it’s far more likely right now, in this moment, than it would have been in any year in team history. There won’t be any long term penalties for going over, as those will more than likely all be erased by the next CBA, and as first time offenders, they’ll only be charged 20% on every dollar over. So if they go $10 million over, you’re only talking $2 million in penalties. Hardly franchise crippling. With that mind set, I think the team could theoretically have a lot more room to work with than perhaps they’re given credit for.

Spencer: I can see it going either way. History tells us they will retreat below it and pronounce poverty. But recent aging ownership decisions would lend a case to briefly surpassing it in order to try for a wild card.

DBacksEurope: Nah, Ken Kendrick isn’t going to go over the luxury threshold for this Diamondbacks team. Even if you think you can beat juggernaut LA, you still need to beat another team after them in the World Series. That is too much risk for a cost savvy owner. I do think that Kendrick would be prepared to do it if he really thinks it would give Arizona a realistic chance to win the World Series during what is left of his lifetime, but that isn’t the case this year.

1AZFan1: Absolutely they stay under.

Iowa right-hander Ty Blach was released.

Outfielder and second-round pick Caden Sorrell and right-hander and tenth-round pick Luke Alwood were both promoted to Low-A Myrtle Beach from the ACL Cubs.

Pelicans right-hander Kaleb Wing has been placed on the full-season injured list.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were swept by the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (Yankees), 13-3.

Jace Beck gave up a home run in the first inning and a home run on the second inning and got the loss. The final line on Beck was five runs on seven hits over just two innings. Beck walked two and struck out five.

Six Iowa pitchers combined to give up 13 runs and 20 hits.

Left fielder Jonathon Long hit a solo home run in the fifth inning, his 12th on the year. Long went 1 for 4 with a walk.

Catcher Ethan Hearn hit his first-ever Triple-A home run in the ninth inning with the bases empty. Hearn was 2 for 4 and has five total home runs this year.

Right fielder Kevin Alcántara singled in the eighth inning to extend his on-base streak to 41 games. Alcántara went 1 for 4 with an RBI groundout in the first inning.

Long’s home run [VIDEO]

Hearn’s home run.

The first Triple-A home run for Ethan Hearn! pic.twitter.com/VWVYPp2r1g

— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) August 2, 2026

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies reeled in the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Marlins), 5-3.

Starter Kevin Valdez pitched five innings, surrendering three runs on five hits. All three runs came on two home runs. Valdez walked two and struck out five.

Frankie Scalzo Jr. retired the side in order in the top of the sixth and got the win. He struck out one.

After Luke Little threw a scoreless seventh, Marino Santy pitched the final two innings and got he save. Santy allowed two hits and one walk, but no runs. He struck out two.

Second baseman Drew Bowser hit a grand slam as part of a five-run sixth inning for the Smokies. It was Bowser’s first Double-A home run and sixth overall. Bowser entered the game in the top of the sixth and that was the only at-bat he got.

Shortstop Karson Simas went 2 for 3 with a double, a walk and an RBI single in the sixth. Simas then scored on Bowser’s slam.

Right fielder Andy Garriola went 2 for 4.

Bowser’s slam.

DREW BOWSER’S FIRST SMOKIES HOMERUN IS A GO-AHEAD GRAND SLAM 💣 pic.twitter.com/c4cofkGf8X

— Knoxville Smokies (@smokiesbaseball) August 2, 2026

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs lost to the Lake County Captains (Guardians), 1-0 in a game that ended after seven innings because of rain.

This loss deserves an asterisk because South Bend scored four runs in the top of the eighth, including a home run by Jose Escobar. But because the game was called before the Captains got a chance to bat in the bottom of the inning, all of that was wiped out and the final score was 1-0.

Pierce Coppola had a great start, but he took the loss anyways. Coppola allowed just one unearned run on two hits over five innings. He struck out four and did not walk anyone, although he did hit two batters.

South Bend had two hits, both singles, before the rains came.

Here’s Escobar’s home run that didn’t count.

Jose Escobar ties it!@HoosierLottery Home Run | #SBCubspic.twitter.com/VkVP2LTUW1

— South Bend Cubs (@SBCubs) August 2, 2026

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Rained out.

The game will not be made up.

The Detroit Tigers finally bit the bullet and moved Tarik Skubal for a pretty good prospect package late on Saturday night. Only time will tell how this turns out, but they did get a nice mix of talented young players and a high risk, high reward acquisition in River Ryan. With the August 3rd, 5:00 p.m. ET trade deadline now looming, will the Tigers make more trades? Or, just 2.5 games outside of a wild card spot, will they be satisfied to keep the rest of the team together and continue to try and reach the playoffs without Skubal?

At this point, there’s really not much point selling off talent in my view. If someone wants to pay a hefty price for Casey Mize, Gleyber Torres, or Jack Flaherty, fine, make the move. However, the Tigers are still in position to make a run at this thing, and with a bit of luck they’ll add Jackson Jobe and River Ryan to the pitching staff over the next few weeks. The rotation has been weakened, but the bullpen remains the key component standing between the Tigers and success. It’s hard to believe in this team as any kind of real contender unless that’s sorted out, but there’s also no reason to dump Mize, Flaherty, or Gleyber Torres just to save money.

With Max Clark and Eduardo Valencia off to a good start, this lineup has few truly weak points left in it. The two rookies will cool off and have the natural struggles of any hitter new to the minor leagues, but even so they’re still upgrades over some of the terrible production the Tigers have largely received from the bottom of their lineup. Those two players, along with the addition of Gleyber Torres and now Javy Báez off the injured list gives them better versatility and more options to combat left-handed pitching, while getting the Tigers’ worst hitters out of the lineup.

They also have the option of calling up a red hot Max Anderson from Triple-A Toledo, and that doesn’t have to come at the cost of trading Torres either. Keeping Torres around makes a lot of sense, as that professional at-bat could come in very handy in the postseason. James Outman is pretty much irrelevant with Max Clark now in center field, and the Tigers could release him, call up Anderson, and use a mix of he and Torres at second base, with both of them getting shots at the designated hitter spot here and there or just coming off the bench. It’s probably best to make sure Torres has a fair amount of rest days anyway to try and insure that the oblique injury doesn’t flare up again.

There’s been some speculation that the Tigers could move a reliever, but other than dealing a lefty like Tyler Holton or Enmanuel de Jesus for a significant overpay, there really isn’t an obvious trade to make. It’s just difficult to believe that anyone is going to give up anything for Kenley Jansen, Kyle Finnegan, or Drew Anderson at this point. If someone wants to get silly with it and actually give the Tigers something for one of them? Wonderful.

Scott Harris and Jeff Greenberg are in a pretty advantageous position regarding further trade talks. They don’t really have to trade any of these players. They still have a realistic shot at squeaking into the postseason, and they’ve already reloaded the system with a lot of what it needed in the Skubal trade. So, they can simply force teams to make it worth their while, or go on as they are and hopefully run down a wild card spot even without Tarik Skubal. Despite the potential addition of Jobe and Ryan, it would still be a good idea to go try and add a quality right-handed reliever as well, it’s just that the competition is likely to be pretty fierce over the next 20 hours.

The one thing that would change my mind is if the Tigers could land a solid starting pitching prospect already in the upper minors. Teams aren’t going to deal a young major league starter for Mize or Torres, but if the Tigers can get a Double-A or Triple-A level prospect they like to fill out depth for the future and potentially even to pitch down the stretch, that should certainly be considered seriously. The only player that seems likely to draw that level of interest is Mize. Flaherty is injured and presumably not an option for anyone. Torres might have some suitors but isn’t going to command a whole lot.

There are plenty of teams hunting a good rental starting pitcher, and Mize is one of the best available. The Rays have been looking, and appear to have lost Shane McClanahan to back issues this afternoon, at least enough to require an IL stint, but the Braves, Cubs, Diamondbacks, Yankees, and possibly the Padres are all in need as well. The question is whether they’ll make it worthwhile for the Tigers to flip Mize or not. With Skubal traded, the Tigers are now comfortably under the luxury tax threshold, and can offer Mize a qualifying offer at season’s end. Keeping him for a reasonable one-year price would be fine if he accepts, but should he decline and sign elsewhere for a deal worth $50 million or more, the Tigers would get a compensation pick after the regular first round of the 2027 draft. That’s far from a certainty, particularly with Mize’s tendency to injury, but such a pick would probably be worth at least as much as teams are going to want to offer for his services.

So, with Skubal traded, the situation is much clearer and simpler now. Rival presidents and GMs are going to have to come calling and be willing to overpay significantly for the Tigers likeliest remaining trade chips. If a deal comes through, the Tigers are in the driver’s seat here and should be expected to do well in any such trade. We can hope that Harris and Greenberg can come up with a relief acquisition of their own to help this bullpen out, but their track record says they aren’t going to land anyone impactful, and with Ryan and Jobe on their way back, there may be little point to a minor relief acquisition anyway. Still, any upgrade in the pen would be appreciated.

Just as the trade for Luis Castillo at the 2022 trade deadline marked the beginning of an era, it feels that yesterday’s trade of him to Chicago marks the transition into a new one. While the roster has shed players that have played an important role in this era of Mariners baseball — Paul Sewald, Ty France, Eugenio Suárez — Luis Castillo, perhaps because he’s known as La Piedra, has felt foundational to this team’s identity. Now the leader of this rotation has left. So it’s all too fitting that today’s game centered on the flagship members of the new version of the roster: Cole Young, with a four-hit day, and Colt Emerson, with a walk-off hit.

Young got his quad squad started on the very first pitch of the game. He took a fastball about a foot off the plate and sent it right back up the middle. Randy Arozarena showily took a couple pitches without even pretending he might swing and got aboard with a walk. Two outs later, Josh Naylor, who has heard your complaints, hit a high pitch with authority for an extra-base hit to give the Mariners a 2-0 lead.

Young’s next hit came to nothing but was nevertheless an impressive piece of hitting. After laying off a splitter in the dirt, Young swung through a cutter. Taj Bradley went right back to the same spot with the same pitch and Young was able to get a piece of it. In a 1-2 count, Young spoiled a pair of 99-mph fastballs to stay alive. Then Bradley went back to the cutter that Young had swung through, and this time, seeing all those pitches paid off as Young scorched it to right field at 108 mph.

Young came back to the plate an inning later, this time with Colt Emerson aboard. This time, Young swung at the first pitch again, a splitter that stayed up in the zone, and hit it at 100 mph to bring in the game’s third run.

In the eighth, now facing a lefty, Young laid off a fastball right at the top rail and fouled off another to find himself quickly in an 0-2 hole against a southpaw. Despite being in protection mode, he was able to take an outside pitch the other way to record his fourth hit of the day and decisively win today’s Sun Hat Award.

That’s two first-pitch hits, a well-fought battle, and an emergency swing he nevertheless got enough of. It’s hits to left, right, and center. It’s hits on a fastball, a splitter, and two cutters. “He’s got a very good approach right now,” Dan Wilson said after the game. Noting that while he’s been swinging at the first pitch more as the season has gone along, Dan added, “It gets him ready to hit everything, and that’s the important thing.”

On May 31, Cole Young celebrated the anniversary of his debut, when he walked off the Minnesota Twins. Since that date, Young has a wOBA and xwOBA north of .350, primarily batting out of the leadoff spot. He’s slashing .295/.330/.498. Mark this down now, maybe even in tattoo ink: Cole Young will start the 2027 All-Star Game.

Young was carrying the game’s narrative through the first six and a half innings because I almost forgot about the Mariners’ starter, George Kirby. It was one of those Kirb Your Enthusiasm games, but in the best way. Kirby was just cruising through the game, mixing his pitches and working the edges to throttle the Twins’ hitters. Although he held 96 into the seventh inning, he wasn’t overpowering, just winning every battle. With only three strikeouts, he simply kept things easy peasy, allowing just six baserunners and no runs scored, efficient enough to complete seven innings in under 100 pitches.

With Kirby departing the mound after seven innings with a 3-0 lead, Cal Raleigh blew the game open in the bottom of the inning. Earlier in the game, Cal punished a ball 399 feet, but to the deepest part of the park, so it landed in a glove. In the seventh, with two on, he pulled the ball instead and gave it another 19 feet for good measure. Overall, he continues to be more “so close” than “actually on it” right now, but the past two weeks are pushing that in the right direction.

However, if Kirby was a little boring over his seven innings, the next two existed to remind you that interesting is not necessarily better. The A-side of the bullpen managed to blow a six-run lead, with a three-run dinger off Jose Ferrer, a two-run jack off Eduard Bazardo, and a one-run tater off Andrés Muñoz.

The Mariners would have to walk it off again. Josh Naylor opened the ninth with his second hit of the day, then aggressively took third base on a base hit from Victor Robles. When I say aggressive, I’m referring to more than just his running.

Sporting a bloody face, Naylor was taken out of the game, but he’s fine. Really he was just doing Stuart Fairchild a solid by giving him a chance to pinch run.

With the established arms having blown a three-run lead, the game would come down to a rookie: Colt Emerson, who has been going through it lately as he tries to adjust back to the adjustments the league made to him after his hot first few weeks. Over his first 30 days, he had a 145 wRC+. But since then, that number’s been 20, the second-worst mark in baseball.

Minnesota’s Yeondrys Gómez fed him four straight fastballs, almost a dare. But for as much as Emerson’s struggled lately, the talent underlying that first month is still there. Gómez couldn’t get the fourth one past Emerson. The rookie laced the ball at 105 off the bat for his first-career walk off. It was the fourth time the Mariners have walked off the Twins at T-Mobile Park in the past two seasons. The first was authored by Cole Young.

With an off day tomorrow, that means the Mariners head into the trade deadline at 55-58, three games back of the Astros in the AL West. Brendan Donovan is set to return on Tuesday. Seranthony Domínguez will have arrived in Seattle. With Jerry Dipoto at the wheel, surely more changes are in store as well. But at least for the moment, riding the high of today’s game, it feels to me like those will be buyers’ moves.

LOS ANGELES — Dalton Rushing was a late scratch from Sunday evening’s game against the Boston Red Sox, as the Dodgers catcher is dealing with minor arm irritation. He was replaced by Eliezer Alfonzo, who batted ninth in the final game of the homestand.

Manager Dave Roberts said Rushing felt irritation in the elbow area while playing catch, something he hadn’t experienced before. Roberts said Rushing had an X-ray on his elbow, which came out clean.

“He wanted to keep trying to push through it, but I didn’t want to take a chance and push him anymore. I decided to scratch him, and he got treated today,” Roberts said. “He’s kind of day to day.”

The Dodgers’ catching depth has been tested since longtime starter Will Smith was sidelined in the first week of June with neck inflammation. Smith hasn’t played since June 5, and though he has ramped up his baseball activities this week, it’s going to take considerable time for Smith to return behind the plate in Los Angeles.

Roberts said Saturday that Smith is pain free and building up strength in the weight room, but didn’t have a firm estimate on a return timetable.

“For me, it’s day to day, but I know Will is anxious to get back out there. But there has to be a progression, and games played,” Roberts said. “I just don’t see before three or four weeks.”

Since Smith last played, Rushing has started 34 of 48 games behind the plate for the Dodgers, and held his own, hitting .235/.335/.475 with a 123 wRC+ and 12 home runs on the season. Rushing has -3 catcher framing runs and -4 catching run value on defense.

Alfonzo has started eight games and before him Chuckie Robinson started six games at catcher. The duo has a combined six hits in 44 at-bats (.136) with two doubles (both by Alfonzo) and no walks.

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman did not address the team’s potential need for a catcher, only speaking vaguely on Sunday about what’s left ahead of Monday’s 3 p.m. PT trade deadline.

“For us it’s trying to balance to keep one eye on the present, and one eye on the future, and balancing all of that,” Friedman said. “A lot of conversations on a number of different fronts. How likely is tough to say, but we’ll continue to work through tomorrow.”

Is Mets prospect Mitch Voit's breakout here?

The 21-year-old infielder closed out his first week with Double-A Binghamton by putting together one of his best showings.

Voit reached base four times on Sunday night, finishing a triple shy of the cycle.

He cracked the first pitch of the game deep over the left-center fence for his first homer at the new level.

The young slugger ripped a single to left with two men on and two outs his next time up, but Kevin Parada got gunned down at the plate to end the inning.

Voit added to his tally in the fourth, though, this time ripping a two-run double to deep center.

Reading finally retired him in the sixth, but he did even more damage two innings later, lacing another two-run double to cap his day at the plate.

He scored his third run of the game two pitches later on Chris Suero’s homer.

Voit finished 4-for-5 with a single, home run, and two doubles while scoring three times and driving in five.

The former first-round pick is now hitting an even .500 with five RBI, six extra base-hits, and a 1.502 OPS through his first 22 Double-A at-bats.

He entered the year as Joe DeMayo’s 10th-ranked prospect in the system.

Mitch Voit!

His first Double-A home run pic.twitter.com/U5YEIIqKtq

— Joe DeMayo (@PSLToFlushing) August 2, 2026

It’s going to be a big final month on the farm to evaluate some of the young players in the system, as the Atlanta Braves are ramping up their promotion aggression to new heights. While in most seasons a handful of select players get pushed up the system for the final month (valuable in part because the upper level seasons last longer), the Braves are pushing up most of the significant prospects that have not already been promoted. In recent weeks we’ve seen Tate Southisene get a bump to Double-A Columbus, Alex Lodise a promotion to Rome, and Briggs McKenzie a move to Rome. Though two of those players are now injured these moves reinvigorate excitement in teams that have lost players throughout the season, and it also makes space for 2026 draftees to make their debuts with Augusta.

Rome to Columbus

The lineup in Columbus is going to get a much-needed influx of talent to add to the Tate Southisene pickup (if and when he returns to action). The top of Rome’s order is getting a wholesale bump to Columbus, while also adding Cam Caminiti off of his best career start and arguably the greatest minor league start by a Braves in at least the past decade.

The most notable prospect making the leap to Columbus is the system’s top overall prospect Eric Hartman. Hartman has led the way in the system almost from the jump this season with 24 home runs in 94 games, and has broken out as the near-unanimous top prospect in the system. He’s maintained consistent output from day one, and while the command ability of Double-A pitchers will be a test for him it is one that is needed. Hartman clearly has a handle for High-A pitching and has started drawing more walks, and though his hit tool is still a bit of a question mark he will have a real chance to face a true challenge.

John Gil and Owen Carey will also being receiving promotions. These two are sort of headed in the opposite direction at the moment, though it isn’t the first time Gil will get a chance in Double-A. He had a short stint with Columbus last season before going back to High-A this season and playing well the first few months. He has had a poor July that has crushed his numbers for the season overall, but hit a home run in his last game with Rome and has the approach and pitch recognition to adjust to Double-A. Owen Carey meanwhile has been one of the system’s hottest hitters, putting an early season injury behind him and breaking out with his best power numbers while making solid contact. Carey will face the biggest test as his free-swinging nature will be challenged by High-A pitchers, but given his age this is still a player who is well ahead of the curve.

Finally, after Cam Caminiti’s last start he should get a chance to be promoted. Caminiti struck out 14 batters in 6 2/3 innings and even more impressive was the mind-boggling 33 whiffs on 56 swings (58.9%). Caminiti has had a few inconsistent streaks this season and his command has been a bit worse than expected, but he is coming off of two good starts back-to-back and has been taking well to the adjustments to his arsenal. Caminiti has missed bats more and more as the season has gone on, and even at his worst has been a guy who never gives up hard contact or makes a lot of mistakes over the middle of the plate. Double-A will be a test of his command, but his stuff is Double-A ready and the Braves especially love to blitz pitchers through the system. Still, Caminiti is already 13 innings over last season’s total so having some lowered expectations may be fair.

Sounds like it will be Eric Hartman, Owen Carey, John Gil, and Cam Caminiti who will be off to Columbus. A major influx of talent for the @GoClingstones

— Gaurav (@gvedak) August 2, 2026

Augusta to Rome (and Columbus)

Two big time hitting prospects will be filling the gaps for the Rome offense, and both are going to face a real test in Rome. Luis Guanipa has been phenomenal for Augusta now that he is finally healthy, and though he has been inconsistent this season there is little doubt he should be capable of handling High-A pitching. Guanipa isn’t the type of player who really struggles with pure stuff and should be able to handle the bump in quality between levels, though his approach will be a factor in that. Guanipa’s free-swinging is a major concern in his profile and the difference in command between Single-A and High-A is real, but Guanipa’s bat-to-ball skills are good enough for him to be able to overcome it for now. How he fares against pitching beyond Rome is a question, but Guanipa can hit without a doubt.

Conor Essenburg has the opposite problem of Guanipa, where his contact and tendency to not swing at all can at times be detrimental. Essenburg has been incredible this season and when he makes contact it comes off of the bat like no one else in the system. He has the zone recognition to make the jump to High-A, and the steadier high-quality of fastballs in High-A shouldn’t be a problem, though he will have to do a better job of handling secondary stuff. Essenburg’s swing rate in the strike zone is extremely low, and while his selectiveness is a trait High-A hitters are the level at which guys are capable of throwing strikes enough to put overly patient hitters in early holes. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Essenburg taking more early-count hacks to try to combat this, and Essenburg has shown such an aptitude for making adjustments that I don’t expect the learning curve to overwhelm him.

Cody Miller is headed back to Rome and will hope to reverse his concerning performance from earlier this season. Miller was awful in Rome to start the season, but has managed to level things out a bit in Augusta. He is drawing a lot more walks now (though that is influenced by the quality of pitching) and had six home runs in Augusta in June. He needs a bounce back, and at 22 years old can’t be spending most of a season in Single-A. Catcher Austin Machado will be making the jump to Double-A where he will provide depth for the Clingstones. Machado is not a guy with much power but he makes a lot of contact, he’s patient at the plate, and he’s a very impressive defender. He’s not going to be a guy who ever gets much attention, but there is the framework for a guy who could be a third or fourth catcher type to stash at the upper levels.

Can confirm the Braves are sending a bunch of prospects from Augusta to Rome to make way for some of the draftees.

This list includes Conor Essenburg, Luis Guanipa, Daniel Brooks, Cody Miller, and Austin Machado.

Essenburg and Guanipa it’s beyond time they earned this move up,…

— Matt Powers (@MattPowers31) August 2, 2026

Augusta speculation

What we’re waiting to hear word on now is who is going to come up to fill the open roster spots in Augusta. We know that AJ Gracia won’t be one of those, given his season-ending labrum surgery, but there are a few options from the Braves draft. The most likely of those is PPI selection Carter Beck, who has both the experience to fit in quickly with Augusta and the high draft stock for them to want to get a look at him. Parker Brosius would be another interesting college outfield after his breakout senior season. We’ll also likely see one of the five catchers drafted fill in Machado’s spot, though it’s impossible to guess which will get the nod. Jack Brenner would be fun to see in pro ball after getting such a high signing bonus, but the Braves are probably more likely to go with one of the college catchers they drafted. Fifth rounder Wil Libbert also has a high likelihood of getting a spot given he is their highest selected college arm, but beyond that it’s not really going to be easy to predict which of the high bonus guys may have a chance to debut. Second and third rounders Kaiden McCarthy and Jensen Hirschkorn would be especially intriguing options. 11th round overslot signee Ryne Barker could also get the infield spot vacated by Miller, and would certainly be an intriguing watch for the final month of the year.

With just over 24 hours left before the 2026 MLB Trade Deadline, Yankees fans had begun to grow anxious. The offense badly needed help, the bullpen was begging for reinforcements, and let’s be honest, nobody would ever say no to more depth in the starting rotation (just ask the Dodgers!). Then, as they were watching Gerrit Cole and the Yankees’ bullpen walk a tightrope against the Cubs in a windy Wrigley, Joel Sherman posted this tweet.

A left-handed hitting first baseman who can fake it at second and short (but isn’t particularly good at either spot), Luis García Jr. was not a player who had been on most people’s radars; after all, the Yankees were desperate to add a right-handed bat, not someone else who needed to sit against southpaws. And yet, with the Yankees offense struggling against, well, everybody since Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Giancarlo Stanton hit the shelf, the Bombers clearly were looking for anybody whose bat had a pulse.

Yankees fans didn’t have all that long to wait, as just a few minutes after the game ended, Jeff Passan reported that the deal was done. Soon, the news broke that the Yankees were sending four pitchers to DC in the deal: Double-A arm Jack Cebert, the recently-promoted Yovanny Cruz, Futures Game representative Ben Grable, and 2025 Trade Deadline bust Jake Bird.

BREAKING: The New York Yankees are acquiring infielder Luis García Jr. from the Washington Nationals, sources tell ESPN. Garcia, 26, leads the National League in slugging percentage and is hitting .283/.313/.560 with 23 home runs. He’s under club control through end of 2027.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 2, 2026

Immediately, the community began to discuss the deal.

While the most common reaction was something along the lines of, “Oh wow, a player who can hit the ball, I didn’t know we were allowed to acquire them,” others, however, focused on the fact that he is a first baseman/designated hitter, which the team theoretically has plenty of, even if in practice they don’t.

Others, in typical Pinstripe Alley fashion, promptly began looking ahead to the next few moves, recognizing that the move does not fill their gaping hole at “offense against lefties.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the top-voted comment on our breaking news post was a straightforward celebration of the fact that we are now assured that neither Bird nor Camilo Doval—two Trade Deadline moves from last year that went bust, unlike David Bednar—will appear on a mound in Yankees pinstripes again.

While there was some Ryan Jeffers discussion, as we dream of the Twins reversing their course and opting to sell, the main topic of conversation was shortstop George Lombard Jr., who is knocking on the door of a possible promotion from Triple-A.

All in all, we’re going to have a lot to talk about over the next few days, as inevitably, this will not be the last move the Yankees make. But, as we wait for Jeff Passan, Ken Rosenthal, or Jack Curry to give us some more news, let’s take a step back and reflect on this first step.

What do you think of the Yankees’ new bat? Vote in the poll, and let us know in the comments’ section below!

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman felt good enough about his trade discussions with the Detroit Tigers for two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal that he gave manager Dave Roberts a positive update shortly before the team’s game against the Red Sox on Saturday.

“I heard that it was pretty much done,” Roberts recounted Sunday afternoon. “But there’s obviously things that have to go on with medical, so it wasn’t actually even finalized. I just heard that it was pretty much close.”

Friedman, however, wasn’t ready to exhale until he got final word from the Tigers during the game.

“I had no idea and was trying to emotionally hedge,” he said. “I wasn’t getting too high or too low on it until we actually found out.”

There was, it turned out, no need to stress. On Saturday, the Dodgers agreed to trade three prospects — outfielder Zyhir Hope (No. 25 on MLB Pipeline’s top 100), right-handed pitcher River Ryan (No. 68) and right-hander Brady Smith — to the Tigers for one of the best starters in baseball.

Read more:Plaschke: Tarik Skubal trade brings Dodgers hate, envy ... and another championship

The teams officially announced the trade Sunday.

Even as the Dodgers signaled a potentially low-key trade deadline in the lead-up — “we try to do everything we can to avoid not having to do something,” Friedman said last week — many rival executives and scouts had come to see the Dodgers landing Skubal as practically inevitable.

Of course, the World Series favorites didn’t need to acquire Skubal. But if they wanted him, they’d get him.

And they did.

“Friday it started picking up a little bit,” Friedman said. “But [Saturday] it was much more aggressive back and forth and a lot of different conversations. Obviously being on our side, you didn’t really know how long the process was gonna go, whether it was gonna go into Sunday, into Monday. But obviously we were of the mind to be aggressive and try to get a deal done.

“We were of the mind to be aggressive for one player this deadline, and fortunately we were able to line up.”

Two aspects of the trade did, however, take the industry by surprise: the timing and the return.

The Dodgers pulled off the trade without disrupting their major-league squad. Ryan, who made four major-league starts in 2024, has the stuff to compete in the majors, but health has kept him from another call-up.

“Obviously they felt good going through it,” Friedman said. “We gave up a lot of talent. Those guys are really good, and have a chance to be really good major-league players. But with where our core is, this moment in time, it was something that we felt like, erring on the side of aggressive made the most sense right now.”

Skubal joins Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani as postseason rotation options, creating an enviable surplus if all five are healthy in October.

“I think it’s arguably the best rotation of all time — as if it wasn’t before as well,” catcher Dalton Rushing said. “Hope he’s ready to win a ring.”

"Whenever there's a star-level player that is available, that can really shift championship odds, those are the moments that we'll be more aggressive."

Dodgers' President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman speaks to the media on the #Dodgers acquiring Tarik Skubal via trade… pic.twitter.com/CzJZYModUb

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) August 3, 2026

Said veteran utility player Miguel Rojas: “It’s a statement from this organization to the rest of the league and the world that they’re not just satisfied with what happened the last couple years. … It’s kind of like a pressed button for us to kind of continue to go and not let the rest of the league catch up to our standards.”

Of course, health is never guaranteed. Skubal and Snell have undergone surgeries to remove loose bodies from their pitching elbows. Skubal has made nine appearances since, and Snell is scheduled to make one more rehab start before being activated off the injured list.

Glasnow, on the verge of a rehab assignment, has been sidelined for nearly three months with back spasms, an injury the Dodgers initially hoped wouldn’t even need an IL stint.

Ohtani’s nagging knee problem creates the most uncertainty. Ohtani hasn’t pitched in nearly a month, despite receiving an Orthovisc injection to lubricate the joint. He could restart playing catch this week in Chicago, Roberts said.

“We’re as confident as we can be that he’s going to be back and he’s going to start throwing soon and building back up,” Friedman said. “You can never perfectly predict the future but if you said, ‘Hey, place a bet on it,’ I would be very confident placing it that he would be back pitching.”

With this much time off, however, Ohtani will need to build back up to a starter’s workload without the benefit of a rehab assignment, similar to what he did last season. The timing of his return to the mound will dictate how long the build-up will be.

“We have a plan to build him up slowly, methodically,” Roberts said. “And that would have happened if this trade would have happened or not.”

In the meantime, the Dodgers are filling his spot in the rotation with the best possible option. Skubal is scheduled to make his Dodgers debut Tuesday against the Cubs in Chicago.

And the Dodgers aren’t necessarily done dealing. As of Sunday afternoon, they still were engaged on “a number of different conversations on a number of different fronts,” Friedman said.

Read more:Emmet Sheehan struggles early and Dodgers are swept by Boston Red Sox

When asked if the Dodgers could still add to the major-league roster, however, Friedman said that was “less likely.”

“Never say never,” he said. “Fortunately, we don’t have that acute need that we have to do this or our team is in real danger.”

He did, however, mention the Dodgers’ lack of an acute need before acquiring Skubal too.

Read more:Shaikin: Dodgers traded just 3 minor leaguers for Tarik Skubal. Why couldn't your team do that?

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Late on Saturday evening, the Detroit Tigers made a monumental trade, sending ace pitcher Tarik Skubal to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for prospects River Ryan, Zyhir Hope, and Brady Smith. 

Skubal, who has won consecutive American League Cy Young Awards, joins a stacked Dodgers roster looking to become the first MLB World Series three-peat club since the New York Yankees from 1998 to 2000. 

That leaves many sports fans in the Motor City wondering - is Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin the next high-profile athlete to be moved? 

Of course, Larkin's stunning trade request went public in early June, and it had a major ripple effect on the organization from that point on.

General manager Steve Yzerman stepped down from his role just over a month later in mid-July, while future Hall of Fame forward Patrick Kane chose to return to the Chicago Blackhawks despite expressing interest in what would have been a third straight extension to stay in Detroit. 

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

Like Larkin, Skubal was a homegrown talent (although not a Michigan native) who was drafted by Detroit and developed through the organization before eventually becoming the face of the franchise, and arguably the top player at his position in the Majors. 

While Larkin may not be considered a superstar on the level of players such as Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Macklin Celebrini, or Nikita Kucherov, he remains a highly productive top-six forward coming off his fourth consecutive season with at least 30 goals.

However, their contract situations were vastly different.

Skubal entered salary arbitration before the current season and defeated the Tigers in his case, setting him up to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2026 campaign.

Larkin, meanwhile, has only completed the third season of the eight-year contract he signed in 2023, keeping him under team control through 2031. However, his no-movement clause significantly limited Detroit's ability to secure what it believed would be an acceptable return package in a potential trade.

Initially, Larkin reportedly would only approve a move to the Vegas Golden Knights, Florida Panthers, or Minnesota Wild. None of those teams, however, were able to provide general manager Steve Yzerman with the level of compensation he was seeking for a player of Larkin's caliber.

Red Wings Largely Dormant Since Free Agency Start - Community PostThe Detroit Red Wings signed forward Viktor Arvidsson while acquiring Keegan Kolesar from the Vegas Golden Knights, along with signing goaltender Daniil Tarasov.

As of now, Larkin’s trade request remains unresolved, and that situation may not be settled anytime soon. The Red Wings are currently focused on finding Steve Yzerman’s replacement, and it's possible their search could extend until shortly before training camp begins in mid-September.

Detroit's next general manager will be tasked with either convincing Larkin to rescind his trade request or continuing the transition by dealing him for current or future assets. 

Now that Skubal is officially a former Detroit athlete, all eyes are now on Larkin's future. 

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