MLB Insiders: Dodgers' Skubal Deal Confirms 'Best Org' Status
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- Dodgers landed ace Tarik Skubal, with NL execs crediting the franchise's depth as the reason 'anyone could have traded for him' and an AL exec declaring 'I'm glad we're not in the NL' as others conceded no surprise that the 'best players' end up in LA.
- Tigers received outfield prospect Zyhir Hope, pitcher River Ryan, and Brady Smith in the return — an NL exec called it 'a solid return for a rental,' while an AL scout labeled Hope a 'legit centerpiece type' whose swing decisions still need to catch up to his loud batted-ball outputs.
- Red Sox acquired catcher Adley Rutschman from Baltimore, with an NL scout expressing surprise at 'prospect payment for a player who has been nowhere near the player he was since the 2024 All-Star break'; an AL scout speculated Boston may have been competing with the Yankees.
- Blue Jays landed Jose Soriano in a deal with the Angels to backfill Kevin Gausman — praised as 'creative and somewhat unexpected' and notable as a rare in-season blockbuster for a controllable starter.
- Giants added Ramon Marquez and Miguel Mendez to build starting pitching depth, while the Cubs acquired reliever Ryan Zeferjahn — an NL scout's favorite move because Chicago 'need guys who miss bats.'
- Braves, A's, and Royals were singled out as teams that should have done more, while insiders collectively tabbed the Dodgers and Blue Jays as the deadline's biggest winners.
- An AL exec celebrated the Blue Jays-Angels Soriano swap as evidence that the 'controllable starters never move' narrative is dead, calling it 'a major deal that normally goes down in the offseason.'
Why it matters: The Dodgers landing Skubal reinforces their reputation as the sport's deepest buyer, with one AL exec conceding 'I'm glad we're not in the NL' and another noting 'they've proven that when the best players become available, they're going to go after them.' The Blue Jays-Angels Soriano deal, meanwhile, broke the pattern that controllable starters only move in the offseason.
