The Dodgers won the trade deadline with the acquisition of Tarik Skubal — but that doesn’t mean they ultimately prevailed.
The Brewers were reportedly in the mix to land Skubal in a blockbuster trade, but Milwaukee managed to sweep the Dodgers despite losing out on the two-time American League Cy Young Award winner.
Brewers owner Mark Attanasio discussed the pursuit of Skubal and slipped in a slight jab directed at the Dodgers during an appearance on The Post’s “The Show” podcast hosted by Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman.
“This team was built, not bought. It’s critical to look at how we got here, and because I want to have sustained success, we had to do that by being careful about how many prospects we gave up,” Attanasio said.
“I thought a lot about it. If we had not won that Game 4, we would’ve seen Skubal and [Yoshinobu Yamamoto] again, and we could’ve been looking at Game 7.”
The 2026 World Series brings an interesting conversation to light as the Brewers and Rays managed to reach baseball’s biggest stage as small-market teams.
The Dodgers had the highest payroll of MLB’s final four teams, but were eliminated in four games by Milwaukee.
Attanasio’s comments ring true, the Brewers have taken years to build a winning team and it appears the squad has a strong chance of hoisting the Commissioner’s Trophy. But many of the Dodgers’ biggest critics tend to overlook the team’s top farm system.
While money is no object for the Dodgers, the team wouldn’t have won back-to-back World Series if the organization didn’t have the ability to make blockbuster trades because of its top prospects.
Skubal didn’t guarantee the Dodgers another ring, but it certainly improved their chances.
Where the Dodgers go this winter will likely determine how long the dynasty lasts for LA.
