The Los Angeles Dodgers' acquisition of pitcher Tarik Skubal was a culmination of a nearly nine-month pursuit, with the final agreement coming together in the hours immediately before the August 1 trade deadline. Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman described the trade as one that gained certainty only in the final moments.
Friedman revealed on the Starkville podcast that the Dodgers expressed interest in Skubal as far back as the Major League Baseball General Manager meetings in early November. While discussions continued intermittently through the spring and into the July trade window, Friedman was not convinced the deal would be finalized on the day it happened.
"I woke up Saturday morning not expecting that the deal would go down that day," Friedman said. "I had a conversation with [Detroit president of baseball operations] Scott [Harris] that morning and felt like we had made some progress. Later that day in the afternoon, we had another conversation where it became a little bit more clear that this thing might wrap up today, tonight."
He recounted a pivotal conversation around 4 p.m. Pacific time, after which he felt the trade was imminent. Approximately 90 minutes later, the Dodgers officially secured Skubal.
"And then a follow up around 4 p.m. Pacific, where I was like this thing is definitely wrapping tonight. Ninety minutes later is when we found out we got him," Friedman stated.
The acquisition of Skubal, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, was a significant move for the Dodgers as they aim to solidify their position atop the National League. The team recently reclaimed the top two spots in the NL with a 3-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers, a performance fans hope signals a positive trajectory for the remainder of the season and into the playoffs.