Dodgers Dugout: Trade Deadline Review, Plus Don't Worry (yet) About The Dodgers Losing

Hi, and invited to different version of Dodgers Dugout. My sanction is Houston Mitchell. It’s excessively hot. I’m convinced that nan Earth has been torn from its orbit and is hurtling toward nan sun.

Trade deadline review

The Dodgers made immoderate acquisitions astatine nan deadline, the large 1 being Tarik Skubal. Let’s return a look:

Acquired Skubal from nan Tigers for insignificant leaguers Zyhir Hope, River Ryan and Brady Smith

Andrew Friedman precocious told reporters, “There conscionable aren’t that galore star-level players successful nan game. Any clip 1 is available, we’re ever going to participate successful those conversations.”

Participate he did, arsenic nan Dodgers sewage nan apical subordinate available. Skubal won nan past 2 AL Cy Young Awards erstwhile he went 18-4 pinch a 2.39 ERA successful 2024 and 13-6 pinch a 2.21 ERA past season, starring nan convention successful ERA some seasons. He besides led successful strikeouts successful 2024 pinch 228. Last play he struck retired 241. You tin spot each of his stats here.

Skubal was taken by Detroit retired of Seattle University successful nan ninth information of nan 2018 draft. He reached nan fields successful nan COVID-shortened 2020 season, going 1-4 pinch a 5.63 ERA successful 8 starts. He has gotten amended each play since until this season, wherever he is 7-6 pinch an ERA of “only” 2.81.

Skubal was calved successful Hayward, Calif., connected Nov. 20, 1996. He was a freshman All-American for Seattle successful 2015, past missed astir of nan 2016 and each of nan 2017 play aft having Tommy John surgery. He sounded again successful 2018 and was drafted by Detroit.

After winning his 2nd Cy Young past season, he group nan arbitration grounds by getting $32 cardinal for 2026 (the Tigers had countered pinch $19 million). On May 4 this season, he had room to region loose bodies successful his pitching elbow (the aforesaid room Edwin Díaz had). He came backmost connected June 13 and since past he has gone 4-4 pinch a 2.88 ERA successful 59.1 innings, giving up 43 hits and stepping 10 while striking retired 77. The Dodgers will beryllium connected nan hook for astir $10 cardinal of his net this season.

Was this a bully trade? Well, for now, yes, arsenic nan Dodgers are a amended squad pinch Skubal than without him. Long term, it depends connected a batch of things. Will he beryllium a cardinal facet if they triumph nan title again? He’s a free supplier aft this season, will nan Dodgers re-sign him? Will nan 3 prospects nan Dodgers gave up move retired to beryllium bully to awesome great leaguers?

In 1987, Detroit was battling for nan AL East and pulled disconnected a deadline deal, acquiring Doyle Alexander from nan Atlanta Braves. Alexander went 9-0 pinch a 1.53 ERA for nan Tigers, who won nan section acknowledgment successful ample portion to that. So, a awesome trade, right?

Well, Alexander retired 2 years later, and nan imaginable nan Tigers sent to nan Braves turned retired to beryllium beautiful good: John Smoltz.

Hope, 21, is an outfielder who has deed astatine each level of nan insignificant leagues. He is hitting .291/.368/.525 astatine double-A this season. He is considered by each sources to beryllium 1 of nan apical 100 prospects successful baseball, classed 63rd by Baseball America, 27th by MLB and 18th by Baseball Prospectus.

Ryan, who turns 28 this month, sounded for nan Dodgers successful 2024, pinch a 1.33 ERA successful 4 starts. He has been hampered by injuries ever since. He had limb room successful August 2024 that sidelined him for nan 2025 season. He made 8 starts for triple-A Oklahoma City this season, pinch a 4.46 ERA. He has awesome stuff, but his property and wounded history indicates he mightiness ne'er get a existent chance to show it.

Smith, 21, was drafted successful nan 3rd information successful 2023. He missed nan 2024 play because of injuries. He made only 9 starts pinch a 6.00 ERA past play and successful 21 starts successful Class A shot this season, he was 0-7 pinch a 4.36 ERA, striking retired 113 successful 74.1 innings.

Acquired Ben Rortvedt from nan New York Mets for Chayce McDermott

Rortvedt is simply a acquainted sanction to Dodgers fans, arsenic he filled successful admirably erstwhile needed for Will Smith past play and took nan backup catcher occupation from Dalton Rushing. He deed only .224/.309/.327, but he seemed to ever get cardinal hits, aliases laid down a bunt erstwhile needed. And nan pitching unit loved him. It was arsenic if he had been a Dodgers catcher for years. Look astatine nan squad ERA by catcher past season:

Rortvedt, 2.89 (140.1 innings)
Rushing, 3.87 (325.1)
Smith, 4.00 (865.1)
Chuckie Robinson, 5.14 (seven)
Austin Barnes, 5.16 (103)

Doesn’t it look for illustration Barnes has been disconnected nan squad for a fewer seasons already?

McDermott has a profession 12.00 ERA successful 15 awesome convention innings.

Acquired Hunter Feduccia and Jacob Kmatz from nan Tampa Bay Rays for Jack Suwinski and $250,000 successful world prize excavation money

The Dodgers acquired different aged friend by getting Feduccia, who is besides a catcher. He played successful 8 games for nan Dodgers successful 2024 and 2025 earlier he was traded to Tampa Bay for Rortvedt and pitcher Paul Gervase. Feduccia is 1 of those Dodger prospects who ne'er panned out, arsenic he is hitting .207/.297/.290 successful 104 awesome convention games. But, he knows nan Dodger pitching unit and nan Dodgers are amended pinch Rortvedt/Feduccia than pinch Robinson/Eliezer Alfonzo.

The logic nan Dodgers acquired 2 catchers is because of immoderate bad news. Rushing has a torn UCL successful his correct elbow and much than apt won’t beryllium capable to play catcher again this season, though he whitethorn beryllium capable to service arsenic a right-handed pinch-hitter. With Rushing out, and Will Smith still sidelined by his cervix injury, nan Dodgers turned toward defense. Neither Rortvedt nor Feduccia person proven to beryllium starting catchers, but they person been coagulated backups. The mobility is, who will get nan astir playing clip nan remainder of nan way? They some bat left-handed.

Acquired pitcher Kris Bubic from nan Kansas City Royals for Carlos Duran

This reminds maine of nan waste and acquisition for Danny Duffy astatine nan 2021 deadline. Duffy was a bully pitcher who was injured, but nan Dodgers hoped he would return successful clip to thief down nan agelong during nan 2021 season. He didn’t return. They signed him successful nan offseason hoping he would return from wounded to thief during nan season. He didn’t return. He past retired.

Bubic was connected nan 60-day IL for nan Royals, and is connected that IL for nan Dodgers. He was an All-Star past play for nan Royals, finishing nan play 8-7 pinch a 2.55 ERA successful 20 starts (116 innings). He was 3-2 pinch a 4.11 ERA successful 9 starts this play earlier going connected nan IL because of enarthrosis soreness. The Dodgers dream he tin return earlier nan extremity of nan month.

But let’s not clasp our activity awaiting that, OK?

Duran, 25, had a 3.38 ERA successful 42.2 innings astatine triple-A Oklahoma City.

Acquired reliever Seth Halvorsen from nan Colorado Rockies for Nick Frasso and Landyn Vidourek

This waste and acquisition happened connected July 20, but we will see it. Halvorsen was, hold for it, connected nan 15-day IL for nan Rockies because of enarthrosis inflammation. He is presently disconnected nan IL and has sounded 5.1 scoreless innings astatine Oklahoma City. He reaches 100 connected nan radar weapon and has a 4.31 profession ERA successful 71 innings successful nan majors.

Frasso, 27, was selected successful nan 4th information by Toronto successful nan 2020 draft, was sent to nan Dodgers for Mitch White successful 2022 and ne'er reached nan fields pinch L.A. He had enarthrosis room earlier nan 2024 play and sat retired nan season.

Vidourek, 22, an outfielder, was chosen by nan Dodgers successful nan 3rd information of nan 2025 draft. He has powerfulness but strikes retired a lot, fanning 141 times successful 317 at-bats successful nan minors, wherever he is hitting .205/.357/.369.

So, location you person it. Your caller Dodgers. The Dodgers are a amended squad coming than they were earlier nan deadline. It guarantees thing though. They sewage Yu Darvish and Max Scherzer successful erstwhile years and did not triumph nan title.

The Dodgers rotation, if everyone is healthy:

Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Skubal
Shohei Ohtani
Blake Snell
Tyler Glasnow

Next successful line: Justin Wrobleski, Roki Sasaki, Eric Lauer, Emmet Sheehan.

Here’s what nan different NL contenders did. I won’t comment, because this newsletter is agelong capable already and there’s still different point aft this one, but if you click connected each player’s name, you will beryllium taken to their stat page astatine baseball-reference.com.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Acquired Lars Nootbaar from nan St. Louis Cardinals for Daniel Eagen, Sandro Santana and a subordinate to beryllium named later.

Atlanta Braves

Acquired Tyler Uberstine from nan Boston Red Sox for Eli White.
Acquired Duncan Davitt from nan Chicago White Sox for Joey Bart.
Acquired Brent Suter from nan Angels for Nacho Alvarez Jr.
Acquired Tyler Mahle from nan San Francisco Giants for Anthony Molina.
Acquired Lane Thomas and Bailey Falter from nan Kansas City Royals for Carter Holton and Lucas Braun.

Chicago Cubs

Acquired Kevin Gausman from nan the Toronto Blue Jays for Brett Bateman and Ty Southisene.
Acquired Clay Holmes and Tyrone Taylor from nan New York Mets for Jefferson Rojas.
Acquired Ryan Zeferjahn from nan Angels for Moises Ballesteros and Mason McGwire.
Acquired Braxton Garrett from nan Miami Marlins for Jonathon Long and Jace Beck.
Acquired Aaron Civale and rate from nan Athletics for Aiden Moffett.
Acquired David Peterson from nan New York Mets for Cole Mathis.

Miami Marlins

Acquired Brandan Bidois, Hyun Seung Lee, and Brian Sanchez from nan Pittsburgh Pirates for Lake Bachar.
Acquired Victor Vodnik from nan Colorado Rockies for Connor Norby and Aiden May.
Acquired Jonathon Long and Jace Beck from nan Chicago Cubs for Braxton Garrett.
Acquired Brayden Taylor, Adrian Santana and Jacob Kisting from nan Tampa Bay Rays for Liam Hicks.

Milwaukee Brewers

Acquired Antonio Senzatela from nan Colorado Rockies for Mark Manfredi and Juan Martinez.
Acquired Dustin May and JoJo Romero from nan St. Louis Cardinals for Alexander Frias and Josiah Ragsdale.
Acquired Bo Naylor and Codi Heuer from nan Cleveland Guardians for Blake Perkins and Craig Yoho.
Acquired Braden Shewmake from nan Houston Astros for rate considerations.

Philadelphia Phillies

Acquired Luis Arraez and Caleb Kilian from nan San Francisco Giants for Ramon Marquez and Marty Gair.
Acquired Colby Thomas from nan Athletics for Seth Johnson.
Acquired Manuel Colon and rate considerations from nan Kansas City Royals for Nolan Hoffman.
Acquired Brooks Raley from nan New York Mets for Luke Gabrysh and John Spikerman.

San Diego Padres

Acquired Robbie Ray from Giants for Miguel Mendez and Joniel Hernandez.
Acquired Hunter Stratton from Pirates for Andrew Moore.
Acquired Casey Mize and Gage Workman from Tigers for Kash Mayfield and Jackson Wolf.

For afloat reports connected each nan trades crossed nan majors, I propose visiting mlbtraderumors.com.

What, maine worry?

So, nan Dodgers person mislaid six successful a statement and were swept successful 2 consecutive series. Time to interest aliases panic?

To find nan past clip nan Dodgers mislaid six successful a statement and were swept successful consecutive series, you person to spell each nan measurement backmost to ... July 2025. The Dodgers woke up connected July 4 starring nan NL West by 9 games. They past proceeded to get swept twice:

lost to Houston, 18-1
lost to Houston, 6-4
lost to Houston, 5-1
lost to Milwaukee, 9-1
lost to Milwaukee, 3-1
lost to Milwaukee, 3-2

The past mislaid their first crippled against nan Giants, 8-7. After that, they were successful first spot by only 4 games.

Then they won 2 successful a statement and mislaid 3 much successful a row. They went 5-13 complete 1 agelong that period and went 10-14 successful July. They mislaid 5 successful a statement to commencement September. They ended up winning nan section by 3 games, but did not get a first-round bye.

My representation fails me, what happened successful nan postseason past season?

If nan Dodgers get a mates of awesome injuries and suffer for illustration 15 successful a row, past we tin statesman to panic. But they are going to make nan postseason, and thing tin hap successful nan postseason. They could beryllium swept successful nan first round, they could triumph it each again. It’s each portion of nan ride.

Up next

Friday: Dodgers (Roki Sasaki, 5-5, 4.64 ERA) astatine Arizona (Merrill Kelly, 8-9, 5.04 ERA), 6:40 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Saturday: Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 11-7, 2.76 ERA) astatine Arizona (Brandon Pfaadt, 6-1, 3.66 ERA), 5:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Sunday: Dodgers (*Justin Wrobleski, 11-3, 3.31 ERA) astatine Arizona (*Eduardo Rodriguez, 10-4, 2.71 ERA), 1:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

All times Pacific

*-left-handed

In lawsuit you missed it

Shohei Ohtani, Pete Crow-Armstrong put connected a show arsenic NL MVP talk heats up: ‘He’s a awesome player’

‘Dodgers do each nan correct things.’ Tarik Skubal dismisses nan ‘ruining baseball’ critics

Two of Rob Reiner’s children salary tribute to their precocious parents pinch Dodgers ceremonial first pitches

Dodgers adhd catchers Ben Rortvedt and Hunter Feduccia, pitcher Kris Bubic astatine waste and acquisition deadline

Dodgers Debate: The Dodgers will extremity astatine thing to win

Inside nan fierce push Andrew Friedman and Dodgers made to get Tarik Skubal

Shaikin: ‘L.A. is America’s team.’ But nan Brewers should person been Tarik Skubal’s team

Plaschke: Tarik Skubal waste and acquisition brings Dodgers hate, envy ... and different championship

And finally

Vin Scully is interviewed by Roy Firestone. Watch and perceive here.

Until adjacent clip ...

Have a remark aliases thing you’d for illustration to spot successful a early Dodgers newsletter? Email maine astatine houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter successful your inbox, click here.