Why Brewers, Rays Didn't Try to Beat Dodgers for Tarik Skubal Trade Revealed in New MLB Rumors

The Los Angeles Dodgers put themselves in a position to achieve a World Series three-peat by acquiring star pitcher Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers, beating out other pursuing teams like the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays to land him.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal explained that the Dodgers won the race for Skubal because the Brewers and Rays weren't desperate enough to complete a deal for the back-to-back reigning AL Cy Young Award winner.

"Why didn't the two small-market teams try harder for Skubal? The Brewers did not consider Skubal's remaining $9.4 million an obstacle, a person briefed on their thinking told The Athletic. The Rays likely did not, either," Rosenthal reported. "But here's something else the Dodgers exploit: the risk-averse nature of so many other clubs in today's game."

The Dodgers sent outfield prospect Zyhir Hope and pitching prospects River Ryan and Brady Smith to the Tigers to acquire Skubal, who has a 2.79 ERA and 116 strikeouts across 16 starts this season. The 29-year-old missed six weeks earlier in the year after undergoing a procedure to remove bone chips from his elbow, and he has since returned to form, boasting a 2.03 ERA in July.

Rosenthal reported that while Hope, Ryan and Smith are "highly regarded," the Brewers and other teams "could have parted with better prospects for Skubal." However, they "decided against it, allowing the Dodgers to dunk on the industry again." Meanwhile, the Dodgers "can afford to take more chances" because of their ability to spend big.

Per Spotrac, the Dodgers have the second-highest payroll in the majors behind only the New York Mets. Still, Rosenthal pointed out that it's not only Los Angeles' large bank account that made the trade for Skubal happen, but also the team's willingness to go further than its competitors to complete the deal.

"The dirty little secret of a salary cap and floor system is that it would not guarantee small-market teams' success," Rosenthal stated. "Many would need to develop more of a killer instinct, an instinct the Dodgers demonstrate time and again."