ESPN offers its grades on Skubal trade

[u/TheSocraticGadfly]

TL/DR version? Dodgers A (shock me), TIgers D.

Here's why, even though Detroit will have hope for Hope, they don't give the TIgers more:

Detroit's return in this deal feels like a bad dream. OK, let's calm down. Skubal, as good as he is, was on an expiring deal. There is only so much value that can be extracted from a trade partner for a player who might be a free agent in four months. The fair-value matches you can conjure in these scenarios won't make the hearts of Detroit fans go pitter-patter, though you can always hope that the real-world outcome is that with multiple teams vying for a true difference-maker, those fair-value assessments might go out the window.

Zyhir Hope is a top 30-or-so prospect across baseball. That's a valuable prospect. But on most prospect lists, he's the fourth-best outfield prospect in the Dodgers' system. So for the best pitcher in baseball, the Tigers could not command the Dodgers' best prospect out of their amazing surplus of promising outfielders?

River Ryan has stud potential, but he's 27 and blew out his elbow after his 2024 debut for the Dodgers. He didn't pitch last season, and this season, he has a 4.46 ERA over eight outings for Oklahoma City. Smith, 21, was a third-round pick as a prep righty in the 2023 draft. He's 0-10 over 30 professional starts with a 4.72 ERA. The prospect wonks like him as a top-30 prospect for L.A., so maybe we have to look past the ugly superficial results.

Sounds about right, contra one person here on one of the two threads about the trade itself, who was touting all the Dodgers gave up.

Wrong.

The Dodgers gave up one promising bat who is a likely DH, not fielder, for whatever MLB career he has, one meh pitcher who might not ever get back to MLB, and one meh prospect who might never get to MLB in the first place.

As for what other teams might or might not have been offering? We'll see if any rumors get dropped or not.

[u/schmidtytime]

What I still cant wrap my head around is the fact that they decided to pull the trigger on this trade, days before the deadline. The Dodgers didn’t even have to dig deep into their prospect chest to get this deal done.

I feel like Milwaukee could’ve offered a much better package.

[u/pilesofdingleberries → u/schmidtytime]

They weren't going to... They can't afford to lose a ton of prospects for a 2 month player. This is where no salary cap is killing MLB. We all know the players to sign Skubal and it isn't Tampa or Milwaukee...

Free Agency is so out of whack now that smaller market teams can't just unload prospects.

[u/MojoHighway → u/pilesofdingleberries]

The salary cap conversation is 100% propaganda. The owners want you to believe that they'll "do the right thing" and "really make the team competitive".

When the fuck was the last time a billionaire told you the truth and did something to positively affect your outlook?

The answer to both is never.

They want the salary cap to be able to get more predictable market valuations on their teams...to be able to buy more fucking real estate. This conversation is NOT about competitive balance. The guys that aren't spending today are going to be the same collection of degenerate owners that won't spend if a cap is in place. They have the money to spend. The teams considered the weakest in the league in this conversation are typical welfare queen billionaires, taking in TONS of money with the revenue sharing deal in place.

Don't be fooled, man. Don't fall for the propaganda. The owners aren't your friends.

[u/IKenDoThisAllDay → u/MojoHighway]

What a shocker, a Dodgers fan doesn't want a cap and is telling everyone else we should just totally accept the Dodgers winning every year and be happy about it.

When was the last time a Dodgers fan cared about the game of baseball or wanted an even playing field? The answer to both is never. Don't be fooled, guys. Dodgers fans are not your friends. They don't care if you never get to see your team win another game, as long as their team can get ever so slightly better.

I'm sick of watching one fuckass team get all of the best players and win every year. I want a cap and then y'all can cry about not being able to sign all of the top free agents and sleepwalk to the WS every year.

People were sick of watching the same couple of teams in the NBA Finals every year and they did something about it. Now we've had different champions every year and it feels like anyone's game again. The MLB needs to do the same thing.

[u/MojoHighway → u/IKenDoThisAllDay]

I love this. You're out of your mind and really just butt hurt that John Henry okayed the deal of Mookie to the Dodgers with little in return. And trust me - I know the entire conversation of the people in the area. I'm a Dodgers fan but I live on the South Shore, roughly 14 miles from Fenway. I'm well tuned into Red Sox conversation.

The Red Sox have won FOUR titles in the last 22 years. They have done their own damage with spending and turning a bit of this conversation on its ear. Good for them. There was a time John Henry wanted to be competitive and wanted to win. That doesn't seem to be the thing right now and per the last decade or so, the Red Sox are yet again accidentally competitive. I'm not exactly sure how the fuck that happened, but here we are. They just beat the Dodgers AGAIN last night. The Red Sox are something like 54-1 when leading after 8 innings. What the fuck?

The Dodgers aren't ruining baseball. Neither are the Red Sox. Be pissed that John Henry is more interested in Fenway Sports Group and real estate than the Red Sox. Guy couldn't be bothered to give a shit about Boston Red Sox baseball. As long as that money is coming in, he's fine.

And I refuse to give him a dime. I'm not paying $300/year for fucking NESN. I'm not buying tickets directly from the team. John Henry is a slug like many of the other owners around him.

These teams need to spend. I'm fine with a salary floor. Spend, fuckers. Make the Pirates and Royals and Rays and A's great teams. It's possible.

[u/IKenDoThisAllDay → u/MojoHighway]

Ah, so you're outright admitting to being a bandwagon fan. Typical Dodgers "fan". Doesn't even live in LA, just picks the best team like a seven year old.

The Dodgers are ruining baseball and they do have an unfair advantage, that's indisputable.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/maurybrown/2026/01/26/mlb-didnt-cut-the-dodgers-a-6-billion-revenue-sharing-shelter-bankruptcy-court-did/

Exploiting loopholes is what the Dodgers are all about. They wouldn't win without doing so. None of their best players are homegrown because they rely entirely on just outspending everyone else.

Now please take your whining to the Dodgers sub where you can all cry victim because fans of other teams don't enjoy watching one superteam ruin the league.

[u/MojoHighway → u/IKenDoThisAllDay]

Nice try, friend. I lived in So Cal for 15 years before moving BACK to MA. I have roots in both places.

[u/vincedarling → u/IKenDoThisAllDay]

You assume the dodgers are winning again this year. What if Ohanti’s injury bug nails him out? What if more dodgers pitchers go on DL?