LOS ANGELES — Andrew Friedman’s two recent October passions will be rolled into one this fall.
A day after he landed the big fish in the trade deadline pond, the Dodgers’ president of baseball operations said new left-hander Tarik Skubal will make his club debut on Tuesday in a road start against the Chicago Cubs.
And so begins the closing stretch toward the playoffs and that time of the season when Friedman has managed to mix work with pleasure. In addition to the stomach-churning process of watching the Dodgers try to seal their championship fate, there was also the guilty pleasure of watching a particular left-hander take the mound.
“Watching Tarik Skubal pitch in the playoffs last year was must-see TV,” Friedman said Sunday. “I was in awe watching the energy, the dominance he exhibited there, and I can’t wait to see it in Dodger blue.”
Talks with the Detroit Tigers for Skubal started Friday and began to heat up on Saturday. While Friedman believed his return package was a good one, he had no idea if it would be enough to sway Detroit president Scott Harris.
The Dodgers were willing to wait until Monday’s trade 3 p.m. PT deadline to see if they came out ahead in the sweepstakes, but the Tigers accepted their offer just before the Dodgers took the field against the Boston Red Sox on Saturday night.
Heading to Detroit, in the deal that became official on Sunday, is outfield prospect Zyhir Hope, as well as right-handers River Ryan and Brady Smith.
Opinions on the deal were swift, from the Dodgers getting a steal to the idea that the trade further advances the narrative that they are ruining the game.
“Passionately disagree,” Friedman said in yet another defense of the way the club handles its business. “Again, this is about the partnership that we have with our fans who come out 50,000 large and the passion that they have for this team (and) the guys in that clubhouse who are doing everything they can to put us in position to win a World Series.
Skubal was set to arrive at some point on Sunday and then travel with the club to Chicago. He is expected to meet with the media on Monday at Wrigley Field. That press conference is the one Friedman envisioned. He said he had no intention of trying to acquire any other pitcher on the market.
“We were of the mind to be aggressive for one player this deadline, and fortunately we were able to line up,” he said.
Veteran infielder Miguel Rojas said news of the trade was another reminder not to be satisfied with consecutive World Series titles.
“For the front office to go out there and land that punch is really impressive,” Rojas said. “I really appreciate the front office and ownership that we have. Because they really committed the same way that we commit every single day to put our body on the line.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he talked to Skubal late Saturday. The club had just dropped its second consecutive game against the Red Sox and yet it felt like a win with the move creating “the energy, the excitement, the buzz.”
It also created what is arguably the best roster ever assembled under a single manager. No pressure or anything.
“I think for me, it’s you’ve got to still coach them; you still got to challenge them,” Roberts said. “We do a very good job of playing well in the sandbox together. Keep the thing the thing, and that’s probably the most important thing. That was what (minority owner) Peter Guber’s really helped me with. The thing is, win the World Series, and everyone’s got to be mindful of that at all times.”
CROWDED HOUSE
Roberts said two-way star Shohei Ohtani will resume his throwing program this week in Chicago starting with a game of catch.
The Dodgers could potentially have nine available starting pitchers at some point with only four needed for the postseason. Ohtani could be one of those four, but he is short on time to build back into a starter’s workload after not pitching since July 3 because of left knee discomfort.
“Obviously, we don’t have that luxury (of a minor league) rehab situation, so I think it’s going to look a little bit like what we did last year,” Roberts said. “And then once we get to a point in the middle of September, we’ll have a better idea of what it looks like.”
When Ohtani returned last year, his season debut on the mound was a single inning. Another inning was added for each progressive start.
“Where we’re at right now, we’ve got to get going,” Roberts said.
ALSO
Catcher Dalton Rushing was scratched from the starting lineup with minor right arm irritation and was replaced by Eliezer Alfonzo. … With Skubal joining the rotation Tuesday, left-hander Eric Lauer will be moved into a long relief role. The Dodgers are 9-0 in games in which Lauer pitches (eight starts, one game following an “opener”) since he joined the club in May. … Rojas was improved enough from a foul ball off his left foot on Saturday to be available off the bench on Sunday. … The Dodgers have not ruled out other trade options with Friedman saying, “We’re still having a number of different conversations on a number of different fronts.”
UP NEXT
Dodgers (LHP Justin Wrobleski, 11-2, 2.88 ERA) at Chicago Cubs (LHP Matthew Boyd, 6-1, 3.41 ERA), Monday, 5:05 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA, 570 AM, 1020 AM