The Los Angeles Dodgers landed perhaps the best pitcher in baseball in Tarik Skubal, triggering another round of disgust over how the two-time defending champions seem to get every star they want.Bryce Harper — who might have to go through the Dodgers to reach the World Series with Philadelphia — was having none of it.“A lot of teams could have done what they did,” Harper said. “That’s not a money move, that’s a prospect move, right? There’s a lot of teams in baseball that have the prospects to move them.”By the time Monday’s trade deadline passed, the Dodgers had taken their big swing, and the Boston Red Sox had thrown caution to the wind, sending prospects every which way to acquire Adley Rutschman and others. Other contenders, however, took a more tepid approach. Milwaukee added right-hander Dustin May. The New York Yankees made a solid pickup in infielder Luis García Jr., but general manager Brian Cashman said they tried for Skubal and Rutschman and didn’t get either. Atlanta was fairly quiet.
Near the postseason cutoff, a few teams acted like they were much further behind. Detroit is 2 1/2 games out of a playoff spot and just 5 1/2 out of first place in the AL Central. The Tigers have the second-best run differential in the American League but still parted with Skubal and right-hander Casey Mize.Baltimore is also 2 1/2 games out of a wild card, and July was its most successful month in over two years. But the Orioles traded Rutschman, starter Dean Kremer, outfielder Taylor Ward and reliever Tyler Wells. They got a lot back for Rutschman — three of Boston’s top five prospects according to MLB Pipeline — but didn’t add many players likely to help this year.
