Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman denied suggestions the reigning MLB champions are ruining the game after pulling off another blockbuster trade that further strengthens their case for a three-peat.
The Dodgers, who are 69-43 on the season and atop the National League West, moved to bolster their already formidable pitching corps by acquiring Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers ahead of today’s trade deadline.
Skubal is arguably the best starter in the game right now after four dominant years in Detroit and moves to California with a 2.79ERA in 16 starts this season.
His arrival shifts the balance of power even further in the Dodgers’ direction and threatens to make it a one-horse race in the battle for the World Series.
It also enhances claims for MLB to introduce a salary cap for the first time since 1994.
Dodgers chief targets another World Series after signing Skubal
Skubal’s move to the West Coast has infuriated the rest of baseball but Friedman rubbished the notion it is spoiling the game.
“Passionately disagree,” he said in comments reported by ESPN. “It’s special and we’re not going to be flippant about this moment in time and how special this group, this era can be in the history of this incredibly storied organisation. We’re going to do everything we can to keep doing what we can to win the last game of the year.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts echoed Friedman’s thoughts, adding: “It just seems like there’s always blowback with us. People are passionate. We feel good about it. There’s nothing that we did that no one else couldn’t have done. I just love our front office. We have to have the players to go pull something like this off, and we’ve still got, you know, arguably the top one or two or three farm systems in baseball. So it’s a credit to a lot of people in this organisation.”
Skubal signing was too good to overlook for the Dodgers
The Dodgers gave up three prospects in return for 29-year-old Skubal – outfielder Zyhir Hope and starting pitchers River Ryan and Brady Smith.
Friedman says the 2024 and 2025 champions were being selective in who they wanted to bring in but felt getting a pitcher of Skubal’s quality was an opportunity they could not overlook.
“I don’t think we went into this thing saying this is an acute need,” Friedman said of the starting rotation. “But as we’ve talked about a lot, 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.
“We’ve tried other instances and not lined up and others where we have. But I think being by the backboard and doing everything we can to put ourselves in the best position, with the core we have right now, with the way they go about their preparation to do everything they can to win a championship — when we can add to that, and enhance our chances, we’re going to be aggressive to do so.”
Skubal is expected to make his Dodgers debut against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night.
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