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Welcome to the California Post’s weekly Dodgers recap, where we review the week that was, hand out very official awards and take stock of the state of the season — this week with a trade deadline twist.
QUESTION OF THE WEEK
What could a trade package for Tarik Skubal look like?
The buzz about Tarik Skubal and the Dodgers seems to grow daily.
If he is going to arrive before Monday’s deadline, however, the club will have to put together a significant trade package.
The Dodgers, of course, have the ammunition to make such a blockbuster happen.
But lining up on a deal is still not a certainty, especially with so many other clubs also interested in the superstar left-hander.
First and foremost, the Tigers have long been expected to ask for young, MLB-ready pitching as part of any potential Skubal deal. And while the Dodgers have plenty of options, which ones they’d be willing to move could prove pivotal to their chances of winning the bidding.
At the major league level, the obvious candidates are Justin Wrobleski and Emmet Sheehan.
Entering the year, Sheehan was ahead of Wrobleski in the Dodgers’ pecking order. But things have changed over the last four months, with Wrobleski breaking out as an All-Star selection and Sheehan regressing in his first full season back from Tommy John surgery.
Beyond that, Wrobleski is under team control for two years more than Sheehan (Wrobleski won’t reach free agency until 2032; Sheehan does in 2030). He is also the safer bet to be an impact arm in the postseason, given the way he has performed this year.
It means, at this point, Wrobleski would figure to be the bigger — and more difficult — ask; even if Sheehan — when right — still has the raw stuff evaluators crave.
How the Dodgers and Tigers view their respective value could be a key point in potential negotiations.
The Dodgers have other minor-league pitching pieces, too, though none that seem to be as good of fits. River Ryan and Gavin Stone are both highly regarded but have also been hurt the last two years. Ryan is still not imminent to returning from a hamstring problem that has derailed his comeback from Tommy John surgery, sources said, while Stone is still ramping up in a throwing progression following a spring training setback to his surgically repaired shoulder.
Christian Zazueta is the club’s top-ranked pitching prospect but is still only 21 years old and was only recently promoted to Double-A.
In other words, a package that didn’t include Wrobleski or Sheehan would probably be somewhat of a surprise at this point.
The Dodgers would have to include more beyond that as well, of course, which is where their deep collection of outfield prospects could come in handy.
The list there begins with Double-A sluggers Josue De Paula and Mike Sirota, two top-15 prospects in the sport. However, even for a two-time Cy Young Award winner like Skubal, rarely are such highly ranked talents dealt for rental players (Skubal will be a free agent after the season).
No matter. The Dodgers have plenty of other names that could be enticing.
Zyhir Hope (No. 25 prospect in the sport, per MLB Pipeline) has also had a big year in Double-A and could reach the majors as soon as next year. Eduardo Quintero (No. 19) is an equally intriguing alternative; though he is still only in High-A and is higher regarded by some in the Dodgers’ organization.
James Tibbs III, Zach Ehrhard, Charles Davalan and others also are part of the Dodgers’ outfield glut. And given that logjam, the Dodgers won’t be afraid of dealing from the group.
You might ask: Would a Sheehan/Hope/plus package — just as an example — really be enough for the Dodgers to top everyone else and land Skubal?
Well, the last time a rental pitcher near Skubal’s caliber was moved at the deadline was Max Scherzer in 2021, when the Dodgers gave up a young MLB-ready pitcher (then-rookie Josiah Gray), a top 25-50ish prospect in the sport (catcher Keibert Ruiz) and two other minor leaguers … and that deal also netted them an All-Star shortstop in Trea Turner.
FUTURE DODGER OF THE WEEK
Tarik Skubal (ETA: Monday … or this offseason?)
Something worth remembering in these Skubal sweepstakes: There will be another one this offseason, when he could (CBA negotiations pending) land a record-setting contract for a pitcher.
The Dodgers, as they are with almost all top free agents, will likely be involved in those proceedings, too. Which means, even if they miss out now, there will still be a chance he winds up in Los Angeles eventually.
If anything, that dynamic might only enhance the Dodgers’ willingness to be aggressive for the 29-year-old now.
If they plan to target him as a free agent, no better way to begin building a sales pitch than getting him in the door early, giving him a chance to build rapport with their organization and making him part of a World Series push this fall.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Freddie Freeman (9-for-21 this week; .301 average, 15 home runs, 53 RBIs, .864 OPS this year)
Freeman began the year aiming to hit .300 for the first time since 2023.
This week, he got to that mark for the first time all season, continuing a scorching stretch that began in late June.
Over his last 30 games, the veteran first baseman is hitting .371 with 10 doubles, two home runs and 14 multi-hit efforts.
And while he quipped this week that he only cares what is batting average is at the end of the campaign, he has made his .300 goal look possible again.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Roki Sasaki (2 wins, 3 runs allowed, 16 strikeouts in 12 ⅓ innings this week; 5-5 record, 4.64 ERA this year)
The recently resurgent Sasaki gave an interesting quote to the Japanese press following another encouraging start on Thursday, when his stuff once again played up and he looked dominant for five innings before battling some cramping in the sixth.
Asked about his potential role in the Dodgers’ pitching plans for the stretch run of the season and into the playoffs, the right-hander said he would like to remain in the rotation for as long as possible.
But, he also added in Japanese, “I think the postseason is a different thing, and I think [my role in October] is something that I can think about after the regular season.”
Reading between the lines, it sounds like Sasaki is open to returning to the bullpen in the playoffs if needed — the same thing he did last year when he emerged as the Dodgers’ unexpected closer.
PROSPECT OF THE WEEK
Zach Root (3-3 record, 2.40 ERA in High-A this season)
Aside from the aforementioned Zazueta, there may be no faster-rising pitcher in the Dodgers’ farm system than Root, their 40th overall draft pick last year.
After tearing up the opposition with High-A Great Lakes to begin the year, the 22-year-old left-hander earned a promotion to Double-A Tulsa this week, reinforcing his status as a top-10 prospect in the organization’s pipeline.
During his time with Great Lakes, Root struck out 79 batters over just 60 innings. He gave up just one home run and held hitters to a sub-.200 batting average.
The University of Arkansas product has received high marks for his changeup and curveball. And while he has battled a high walk rate, he is already looking like another shrewd find from the Dodgers’ front office.
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