Two roundups so close together? Well, honestly I’m surprised one wasn’t done sooner, but it wasn’t exactly an explosive final stretch for the Dodgers at the trade deadline.
Of course, they did get that one guy. You know, him.
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Let’s start with assorted trade deadline stuff.
CBS Sports: Matt Snyder places the blame of the Dodgers getting Tarik Skubal on the other teams, basically.
Don’t lose sight of that. The Tigers front office quit on their team, while the Brewers and Rays and other teams didn’t have the guts to step up and pull the trigger the way the Dodgers did. If there’s a villain here, I’m sure not seeing it being the Dodgers.
I actually don’t have a problem with the Dodgers being the villain, but it does feel lately like trying is the new inefficiency for front offices.
The Athletic: Steve Buckley makes a case similar to the one I’ve always made regarding dominant teams, which is that people say they hate them and it’ll make them want to quit watching, but that never really bares out.
Now we have Shohei, Mookie and Freddie, albeit without the Miller Lite commercials and dugout confrontations. Absent your own hometown team, you should want the Dodgers back in the World Series. Even if you want them to lose.
I know this because I have resented all those teams in the past … and I watched.
California Post: Meanwhile, Alex Call and Eric Lauer notably were not traded at the deadline, and they were grateful to still be around and also appreciated the honesty of the front office.
Each also emphasized how much they appreciated the way their situations were handled, and how they were grateful to still be with the organization after weeks of trade rumors had left their futures in doubt.“How comfortable and easy everything has been here,” Lauer said, “I don’t think that going to another organization would be the same.”
“They had been pretty open with me communication-wise about what they were thinking, what I was thinking,” Lauer said. “I expressed to them that I wanted to be a Dodger. So I think they took that to heart.”“I think it’s very rare,” he added of the front office’s openness with him. “I’ve never been given this option. I’ve never been told this much about what was going on. So it’s just another testament to the communication here. It’s top of the line, really.”
“He wasn’t giving me assurance either way,” Call said. “But [he said] basically that, ‘We really respect you. We value what you do. How you approach the game, how you prepare, how you’re ready. That’s the exact type of player that we like.’ … Anytime you hear that type of stuff, you’re just grateful for the organization. It kinda validates what you’re doing.”
The communication stuff is basically the consistent thing that’s praised by players.
The Athletic: The only deadline day deal the Dodgers executed that was significant enough to even get grades was the one for Kris Bubic. The Dodgers got a B and B+, while the Royals got an A- and C-. Neither thinks it’ll be a significant trade, and the gulf in the latter grades is one hand being happy the Royals got anything for an injured rental and the other hand being disappointed they had to sell-low on Bubic.
FanGraphs: As far as projections goes, ZiPS has the deadline deals for the Dodgers increasing their division chances to 99.6%, up 0.4%, and their World Series chances to 23.1%, up 3.3 %. No change in their playoff chances of 100%, though if you listen to Dodgers fans during this losing streak, they’re all 0%.
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The Athletic: Prior to the deadline, there was a profile on changeups, and Skubal’s in particular was a focus.
Skubal’s changeup could be a game-changer for any team that acquires him. The pitch just so happens to reflect a larger trend taking shape in the game.Changeup usage is up from 10.3 percent of pitches last season to 11.1 percent this year. Since the pitch-tracking era began in 2008, batting average (.224) and slugging percentage (.349) against the pitches have never been lower. The whiff rate is near its highest. These pitches have far nastier movement than they did only a few years ago.
My body is ready.
MLB: Some Guy™ dug into why Kyle Tucker has not been Kyle Tucker in 2026, and unfortunately it’s basically just that’s he’s been worse.
We’re going to tell you, but we’re going to warn you, too: This is going to be frustrating. There’s not one big flashing reason. There’s just minor declines in many ways, which all add up to something like a league-average hitter – hardly the star the Dodgers thought they were getting.
It would almost be better if there was like One Big Fix that could solve it, but if you read the piece, it just feels like an early decline stage. Sorta bleak.
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TJStats: The Dodgers land 8 prospects in his Top 100, including Josue De Paula at #13, Mike Sirota at #15, Zyhir Hope at #21, Eduardo Quintero at #25, Christian Zazueta at #33, River Ryan at #35, Charles Davalan at #71, and Emil Morales at #78.
Prospects Live: Basically a detailed scouting report of Zach Root and what he brings to the table.
Coming out of the draft, I would’ve ranked Root as a Top 100 prospect, and I still view him that way today. I see a No. 4 starter with legitimate mid-rotation upside thanks to his command and a 4-pitch arsenal filled with good-to-plus pitches and a little more in the tank.
I think some might see this as a negative evaluation, but that’s honestly quite an optimistic outlook for any prospect. Like it’s similar to projections for Justin Wrobleski when he was in the minors, and you’ve probably enjoyed his contributions so far this year.
Baseball Prospectus: Don’t think Jake Gelof has been mentioned much this year due to the rest of the farm system excelling, but he’s quietly also having something of a breakout moment.
The 60th-overall selection in 2023, Gelof has struggled to make consistent quality contact as a professional. However, he might be turning a development corner this season, posting a career best .247/.366/.514 slash line through 87 games with Tulsa. Rule-5 eligible this winter, it is unlikely Gelof makes his way onto an extremely crowded Dodgers’ 40-man. However, if the swing decisions continue to improve, he might be an intriguing option for a team looking to add some pop to their lineup.
Baseball America: First base prospect Easton Shelton is putting up monster numbers at the moment in A-ball, including smashing over 30 homers, but the 33% strikeout rate is a notable red flag.
Since 2010, there are 18 minor league hitters who have hit 30-plus home runs in a season with a 33% or higher strikeout rate. Just two—Bobby Dalbec and Joey Gallo—went on to accrue 500 career MLB plate appearances. Seven of the 18 never reached the majors and another nine have failed to reach 400 MLB plate appearances.
The Dodgers probably agree to some degree, which is why he hasn’t been promoted. Still, hard to complain about an undrafted free agent showing out like this so far.
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Two months until the games that matter for the Dodgers. They just need to get right by then. Tick tock.
