RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 3 sourcesDodgers addition of Tarik Skubal earns expected lofty praise from ESPN originally appeared on The Sporting News .
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The Major League Baseball trade deadline has passed, and the Los Angeles Dodgers , as expected, were buyers. But, they didn't simply just add a veteran to round out the team; they acquired Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers .
In another deal, they also added Kris Bubic from the Kansas City Royals . But just the Skubal trade alone gave the Dodgers exactly what they needed, and the envy of all 28 other fanbases.
After the deadline passed, ESPN's David Schoenfield identified winners and losers. The Dodgers were an obvious winner, but he shared some loftier praise, labeling them as "the big winner" for the 2026 MLB trade deadline.
Dodgers are 'big winners' of MLB trade deadline, per ESPN
"The big winner: Los Angeles Dodgers," Schoenfield writes. "The general reaction around the sport after the Dodgers acquired Skubal for Zyhir Hope, River Ryan, and Brady Smith: That's all it took? Or: No, not the Dodgers! With many additional exclamation points."
Schoenfield calling the Dodgers the "big winner of the trade deadline is entirely accurate. What other response could the Dodgers' deadline warrant?
This is likely about as good a deadline as a team as stacked as the Dodgers could possibly have. And they had it, without losing too much prospect-wise either.
They have a stacked farm system still, are easily the best team in baseball, and have now arguably the best pitcher of the last three seasons in Skubal.
MORE : Tigers receive lousy grade for Tarik Skubal trade to Dodgers from ESPN
Dodgers fans should be elated by the team's moves at the deadline, as there is no other club that could claim to be this year's "big winner" of the deadline.
Sure, the Boston Red Sox got Adley Rutschman, the San Diego Padres added two aces, and the Chicago Cubs bolstered their roster in a major way. But none of those teams' moves can come close to how great a pickup Skubal was.
This should not be a surprise to Dodgers fans, as there's no other team that could be labeled as a trade deadline winner that had a better deadline than the Dodgers.
More MLB news:
Cubs land Kevin Gausman in blockbuster trade with Blue Jays
Red Sox expected to trade Jarren Duran during offseason, not MLB trade deadline
What did Mets get for Freddy Peralta? Rays send three prospects for 4.99 ERA SP
Braves get unexpectedly weak grade from ESPN for Lane Thomas trade with Royals
How Cubs inadvertently helped Dodgers trade for Tarik Skubal
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