The Los Angeles Dodgers just got even scarier. By landing Tarik Skubal, the reigning two-time Cy Young winner, they've turned a powerhouse into a juggernaut. But as the baseball world groans about the rich getting richer, Skubal isn't here for the pity party.
In his first media session since the trade, Skubal didn't hold back. He essentially told critics to stop whining and start paying attention to how the Dodgers operate.
“Every team could trade for me. Every team could make that acquisition, and I don’t really sympathize with people that blame the Dodgers for anything they’ve done,” Skubal told ESPN. “They’ve developed a really good organization. They draft well. They acquire talent really well; they retain talent. It’s a winning organization.”
The 29-year-old lefty, who posted a 2.79 ERA and 0.91 WHIP in 16 starts for Detroit this season, isn't buying the narrative that LA is somehow cheating the system. He points to a track record that goes beyond just writing checks.
“Now the complaints seem to be because they won the last two World Series. I don’t think it was like that three years ago, so I don’t really sympathize with people that are complaining because the Dodgers are doing the right thing,” he added.
The Dodgers have been on a spending spree that would make a tech billionaire blush. After adding Tyler Glasnow, Teoscar Hernandez, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto last year, they inked Blake Snell and Shohei Ohtani (with that famously deferred deal) and then brought in Kyle Tucker and Edwin Diaz this offseason. Now they've added Skubal, and suddenly the playoff rotation looks like an All-Star game lineup.
Imagine a postseason rotation of Skubal, Yamamoto, Ohtani, and Snell. That would push Glasnow, Roki Sasaki, Justin Wrobleski, and deadline pickup Kris Bubic into relief roles alongside Diaz, Tanner Scott, and Alex Vesia. It's the kind of depth that makes other teams' front offices sweat.
But Skubal, for his part, is staying humble. “I’m not going to sit here and say I’m the big piece,” he said. “They’ve been a pretty good baseball team without me, so I’m just going to try and show up and kind of be a chameleon in a sense and fit right into these guys and just jell with them. They’ve got the winning recipe.”
That recipe has already produced two straight titles, and the Dodgers are heavy favorites to make it three. And while some fans might be crying foul, Skubal's stance is clear: if you want to win, do what the Dodgers do. As Cowherd pointed out, there's no rule against being smart and aggressive.
The trade also reignited debates about how such deals shape the league's competitive balance. But Skubal isn't losing sleep over it. He's just ready to pitch.
And for those hoping the Dodgers' spending spree will lead to a lockout? Skubal's message is simple: don't hold your breath.
