DENVER, COLORADO - JULY 22: A detailed look at the jersey of Kyle Karros of the Colorado Rockies during a game against the Washington Nationals at Coors Field on July 22, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Kyle Cooper/Colorado Rockies/Getty Images) | Getty Images
July has come to a close and there are just two months left in the 2026 MLB season. The Rockies are 45-67 and on pace for a final record of 65-97.
July featured the All-Star Game, which saw Hunter Goodman participate for the second year in a row. It has also featured the lead-up to the trade deadline, which will take place at 4pm MT tomorrow.
But looking back before the team is potentially broken up, there were plenty of standouts in July:
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs bolstered their rotation on Sunday night, acquiring right-hander Kevin Gausman in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays.
The addition of Gausman is likely only the beginning for Chicago as it looks for pitching ahead of Monday’s trade deadline. The Cubs have weathered injuries to several key pitchers on their way to a 63-49 record and the top spot in the NL wild-card standings.
Gausman worked 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball in Toronto’s 5-1 win over St. Louis on Saturday. He could make his first start for Chicago on Thursday, when the Cubs host the Blue Jays in the makeup of a June 21 rainout.
Chicago also traded Jameson Taillon and cash to Toronto on Sunday for a player to be named or cash. Taillon was designated for assignment by the Cubs last Monday.
The durable Gausman, who is eligible for free agency after this season, is 5-10 with a 4.38 ERA in 23 starts. He pitched at least 174 2/3 innings and made at least 31 starts in each of the previous five years.
Gausman helped Toronto reach the 2025 World Series, going 2-3 with a 2.93 ERA in six postseason starts. The Blue Jays lost in the Fall Classic to the Los Angeles Dodgers, a possible playoff opponent for the Cubs this year.
Toronto began this season with championship aspirations, but it dropped to 52-60 with Sunday’s 5-1 loss to St. Louis. Right-hander Shane Bieber and outfielder Daulton Varsho also could be on the move ahead of the deadline.
The Blue Jays acquired minor leaguers Brett Bateman and Ty Southisene in the deal with the Cubs. Bateman was an eighth-round pick in the 2023 amateur draft, and Southisene was a fourth-round selection in 2024.
Bateman, a 24-year-old outfielder, hit .312 with three homers, 20 steals and 33 RBIs in 82 games for Triple-A Iowa this season. Southisene, a 21-year-old shortstop, hit .326 in 44 games for High-A South Bend.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 18: Adou Thiero #1 of the Los Angeles Lakers dunks the ball during the game against the Golden State Warriors during the Semifinals on July 18, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Tom O'Connor/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Well, that was a frantic offseason.
Last time we did one of these, it was before NBA free agency and so many possibilities existed. At the time, LeBron James returning to the Lakers was certainly on the table and few would have predicted the way free agency would go.
But, with the Lakers’ offseason now (mostly) in the rear view and the WNBA trade deadline having come and gone, there’s plenty of questions to be asked. So, fire away with any of them. And if you have any questions about the young WNBA season, send them as well.
The Dodgers were already heavy World Series favorites before executing this trade for one of baseball’s best pitchers. Now, their odds are officially at +145 on FanDuel Sportsbook, with every other team in the league far behind them.
Tarik Skubal celebrates after a pitch during a Detroit Tigers game. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
It has been reported that Skubal will make his Dodgers debut on August 4, when Los Angeles takes on the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. But fans don’t need to wait that long to see Skubal’s new threads, as the Dodgers posted a photo of Skubal’s jersey and his locker to their social media accounts on Sunday afternoon.
The post was captioned, “No. 29 for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tarik Skubal.”
As if Dodgers fans needed any reason to get even more excited about this trade, seeing Skubal’s locker and jersey has amplified this excitement, which is shown by many similar responses to this post.
“IT FEELS GOOD TO BE A FAN OF THEE LOS ANGELES DODGERS,” wrote @DodgerBluess.
“Skubal in Dodger blue is going to be a problem,” added @JackHayHomes, along with an edited photo of Skubal pitching while wearing the white Dodgers jersey.
Los Angeles Dodgers fans smile while taking photos. CHRIS TORRES/EPA/Shutterstock
“I’m crying I can’t believe this isn’t AI ,” said @BoltUpDerwin.
Since his first Dodgers game will be on the road, Skubal will be seen wearing the Dodgers’ gray jerseys before donning the whites. But Los Angeles has a seven-game home-stand that starts on August 10, which means Skubal won’t have to wait long before pitching in front of his new home crowd at Dodger Stadium.
August is here. And that means Major League Baseball is that its peak rumor mill season.
The MLB trade deadline is Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. ET (3 p.m. PT). Roughly each of the 30 clubs are jockeying to ship players out in a full rebuild or add talent amidst a postseason stretch into October.
There are 25 potential trade candidates to keep an eye out for. The San Francisco Giants have two players, Luis Arraez and Robbie Ray, listed in the rundown. However, they are not the only Giants players being considered in trade talks.
The list includes Willy Adames, Rafael Devers, among others. But where do each of the Giants' potential trade candidates rank amongst each other?
USA TODAY Sports ranked the Giants trade prospects, and here are some of the most valuable trade assets that San Francisco possesses:
1. Luis Arraez, 2B
Arraez has put together a 2026 campaign that has elevated his trade stock. He leads the National League with a .328 average and has a highly respectable .810 OPS. That ability to move the baseball takes on significant value in the playoffs. Teams contending with expectation to play late into October could utilize Arraez skillset and services. Arraez is also the No. 1 trade candidate, per USA TODAY Sports.
2. Robbie Ray, SP
Ray is the No. 4 candidate on USA TODAY Sports' top MLB trade candidates list. Ray has a lot left in his throwing arm and a lot of baseball left in his career. He has given up three or fewer runs in 18 of his 21 starts. Maybe he's not your ideal Game 1 playoff starter, but he will be a key as a stretch drive piece who can fold into the back of a playoff rotation.
3. Heliot Ramos, LF
Heliot Ramos is likely gone as San Francisco shifted to looking at dealing him over Jung Hoo Lee, USA TODAY Sports' baseball columnist' Bob Nightengale reported. Ramos is high as a trade candidate due to his easy-to-trade contract. The outfielder is on a one-year, $810,000 deal with the Giants. With his deal expiring at the conclusion of the season, it should make his skillset all the more valuable. Ramos has put up a .262 batting average with 9 home runs, 34 RBI and 75 hits through 73 games.
4. Rafael Devers, 1B
Rafael Devers would be a great asset for any team with championship hopes. He has the power and potential to be a big-time slugger and home run hitter, despite how his 2026 has been going. New York Post baseball columnist Joel Sherman reported that Devers could be drawing interest from the San Diego Padres and manager A.J. Preller. His hitting stats have been .249 average, 22 home runs and 61 RBIs. His batting splits consist of .322 OBP, .475 SLG and .797 OPS.
5. Willy Adames, SS
Willy Adames was one of the many Giants players who have been rumored to be on the move ahead of the MLB trade deadline on Aug. 3. According to New York Post baseball columnist Jon Heyman, the Giants have received calls about Adames. However, it might be difficult to get rid of Adames if it's not an ideal destination that he approves. Adames has a no-trade clause in his contract, not to mention he's one of the highest paid players on San Francisco's payroll. He's in the second year of a seven-year, $182 million contract. He's owed $13 million this year, but from 2027 to 2031 he will be owed $31 million annually. Unless another team is willing to take on that deal, Adames likely will remain in the Bay Area. But anything is possible near the trade deadline.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 27: Tyler Mahle #54 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers at Oracle Park on July 27, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Suzanna Mitchell/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants are expected to be one of the biggest sellers in baseball this season. And on Sunday night, less than 24 hours before the trade deadline, the Giants finally got started. According to a report by Robert Murray, the Giants are trading right-handed starter Tyler Mahle to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for right-handed reliever Anthony Molina.
It’s a modest return, but that’s to be expected for Mahle, who has been having a difficult season. The veteran, who turns 32 next month, has a 5.13 ERA and a 4.38 FIP on the year. But he’s a proven entity who was excellent last year, and has been pitching much better lately. Whether as a starter or in long relief, Mahle can add value to an Atlanta team chasing the postseason.
As for the player coming to San Francisco, Molina is on the 40-man roster, but has spent the bulk of the season in AAA. He debuted in 2024 and pitched that season and the 2025 season with the Colorado Rockies, where he amassed a 6.96 ERA and a 5.14 FIP in 52 games and 94.1 innings.
Atlanta claimed Molina off of waivers this last offseason, then designated him for assignment and outrighted him to AAA, before adding him back to the roster on May 1. He’s only pitched five innings across three games for the Braves Major League team, but has pitched extensively for their AAA squad this year. Atlanta has experimented with using Molina as a starter in the Minors, and in 17 games this year (and nine starts), the Venezuelan has a 3.78 ERA and a 4.14 FIP, with 53 strikeouts and 20 walks in 52.1 innings.
While Molina hasn’t been particularly good, he is intriguing, and he’s still only 24 years old (he also has another option year remaining after this season). He has four pitches that he’s thrown more than 17% of the time this year: a fastball that averages 96.5 mph, a curveball, a changeup, and a slider. We’ll see if the Giants send him to AAA Sacramento or put him in the Majors … and whether they view him as a starter or a reliever (I would assume the latter).
Welcome to the Giants, Anthony. And best of luck with all those other former Giants in Atlanta, Tyler.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 27: Tyler Mahle #54 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers in the top of the first inning at Oracle Park on July 27, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Atlanta Braves have struck again in the trade market and this time, they are bringing a starting pitcher to town. According to MLB Insider Robert Murray of FanSided, the Braves are picking up RHP Tyler Mahle from the Giants in exchange for RHP Anthony Molina.
The Atlanta Braves are acquiring right-hander Tyler Mahle in a trade with the San Francisco Giants, according to sources familiar with the deal. Anthony Molina is going to the Giants.
So far this season, Mahle has put up a 5.13 ERA (125 ERA-) with a 4.38 FIP (108 FIP-) over 18 starts and 94.2 innings pitched so far with the Giants. He signed there as a free agent for one year and $10 million after spending a couple of seasons with Texas and he earned that contract after making 16 starts for the Rangers in 2025 (86.2 innings pitched) and producing a 2.18 ERA (54 ERA-) with a 3.37 FIP (80 FIP-).
Clearly, the Braves think that they’ll be able to get the version of Mahle who was able to do a very solid job of preventing Hard-Hit contact (in 2025, he was 77th percentile of all starting pitchers with 37.1 percent of his batted balls being of the Hard-Hit variety), so this figures to be a job for pitching coach Jeremy Hefner to bring out the best in Mahle while he dons the Braves uniform.
Considering that Anthony Molina hasn’t done much at the big league level for anybody so far (and he’s only thrown five innings for the Braves here in 2026), this is definitely a buy-low type situation for Atlanta. Either way, he’s a starting pitcher who’s been able to at least reach the fifth inning in 16 of his 18 starts — though he did have a wobble in his last outing on this past Saturday, which is when he gave up five runs in 5.2 innings against the Padres. He did strike out nine batters (and has a strikeout percentage of 22 percent with a walk rate of 9.2 percent), so there’s that.
Either way, he may not be a front-end type starter for the Braves but he certainly figures to be an okay one if Hefner can do a job and help Mahle cook on the mound while he’s here. I’d imagine that there will be more to come from Atlanta going forward, so we’ll see what happens next.
[UPDATE – 10:41 p.m. ET]: Here’s the graphic, so you know it’s for real.
A short time later, the New York Yankees announced they got García in a trade with the Nationals in exchange for four pitchers.
“I mean, it was weird, uncomfortable, going out to a dugout and then having all the other teammates look at you,” García said through a translator.
García has spent his career with the Nationals but acknowledged he was excited to move to the Yankees.
“I mean it’s a mix of both sad and happy,” García said. “There’s a new chapter in my career, so yeah, 50-50 right now.”
In exchange for García, the Nationals received right-handed pitchers Jake Bird, Yovanny Cruz, Jack Cebert and Ben Grable.
When asked after Sunday’s 2-1 win at the Chicago Cubs about a trade for García, Yankees manager Aaron Boone was not in a mood to confirm.
The Yankees open a three-game series against the Cardinal in St. Louis on Monday night. There was no official word on whether García would be with the team.
Bird, 30, has a 5.93 ERA in 30 games with the Yankees this season, all in relief. Cruz, 26, has a 1.69 ERA in four games. Grable and Cebert have spent the full season in the minors.
The Chicago Cubs landed veteran right-hander Kevin Gausman in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays, the teams announced late Sunday night less than 24 hours before Major League Baseball's 6 p.m. deadline Monday.
Gausman, 35, is 5-10 with a 4.38 ERA in 23 starts this season but has been one of the most consistent starters in baseball for the past half-decade, posting a 3.36 from 2020-2025. A two-time All-Star, Gausman finished third in AL Cy Young voting in 2023.
Toronto is receiving minor league outfielder Brett Bateman and infielder Ty Southisene in the trade.
Once a top prospect for the Orioles, Gausman came into his own with the San Francisco Giants in 2020 and 2021 before signing a five-year, $110 million deal with Toronto.
Gausman was stellar in the Blue Jays' 2025 postseason run, ultimately losing in Game 7 of the World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Gausman started five games and also got the win in relief in Game 7 of the ALCS.
Cubs rotation with Gausman
Matthew Boyd
Javier Assad
Shota Imanaga
David Peterson
Colin Rea
Kevin Gausman
When is the 2026 MLB trade deadline?
The MLB trade deadline for the 2026 season is set for Monday, Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. ET.
Toronto Blue Jays' Kevin Gausman applauds to the crowd as he is taken out by manager John Schneider during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals in Toronto, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026.
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.
Toronto Blue Jays’ Kevin Gausman applauds to the crowd as he is taken out by manager John Schneider during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals in Toronto, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. Sammy Kogan/The Canadian Press via AP
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.
The ceremony was shortly after Haliburton and his fiancée, Jade Jones, officially tied the knot in late July at a legal ceremony at an Indiana courthouse.
Haliburton, who sat last season while rehabbing an Achilles injury, which he tore during Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals last June, is expected to be ready for the upcoming 2026-27 season.
During Haliburton’s career, he’s been a thorn in the Knicks’ side, notably knocking them out of the playoffs in 2024 and 2025 in the Eastern Conference semifinals and finals, respectively.
That was, of course, before the 2025-26 season, which saw the Knicks capture their first title in 53 years.
50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, has had a relationship with Haliburton for years, and his wine and spirits company Sire has had a partnership with the Pacers going back to 2022.
Tyrese Haliburton and now wife Jade Jones at the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Red Carpet held at the New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Variety via Getty Images
Haliburton even congratulated the once game-changing hip hop artist turned successful TV producer on his $15 million Las Vegas residency in October of 2024.
Charles Wenzelberg / New York PostCurtis “50 Cent” Jackson performs during the “Fightland” Season One Premiere on July 21, 2026 in New York City. Getty Images for STARZ
Jackson also posted on Instagram, one day before the Pacers eliminated the Knicks from the 2025 NBA Playoffs, about his back-and-forth with Knicks fans.
“I keep receiving inappropriate messages from New Yorkers,” said Jackson — famously a troll — on Instagram. “Yes the Indiana PACERS have never lost a game when I was there. The fact that you noticed is spooky, but you can’t tell me not to go see the game it’s not right.”
Haliburton’s wedding to his longtime partner, Jade Jones, appeared to be on the same day as Donovan Mitchell, who celebrated his big day with his fiancée and R&B singer Coco Jones, with various NBA players in attendance, including Jalen Brunson, Jaylen Brown, Bam Adebayo and Josh Hart.
Jalen Brunson stares at Jaylen Brown and calls Josh Hart from the middle of the dance floor at Donovan Mitchell’s wedding
Knicks. Sixers. Cavs. The battle for the East is wide open.
The NBA has yet to release its 2026-27 schedule, but Haliburton’s return is one of many things expected to make the Eastern Conference endlessly competitive this season as the Knicks enter as defending champions.
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.
TORONTO, ON - AUGUST 01: Kevin Gausman (34) of the Toronto Blue Jays delivers a pitch during the MLB game against the St. Louis Cardinals on August 01, 2026 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
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-
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.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he heard during Saturday night’s game that the Tarik Skubal deal was close to the finish line before the move was announced later that evening. Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag
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.”
“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.”
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.
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.
Skubal pitched his last game for the Tigers on Wednesday and is expected to start Tuesday against the host Cubs. MLB Photos via Getty Images
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.
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.
Dodgers players were ecstatic that the franchise was able to make a deal for Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
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.”
The Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman said the organization “tries to win every single year.” Getty Images
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.
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.
,” said @BoltUpDerwin.
