New details from Tarik Skubal trade talks reveal the line Braves wouldn't cross to beat Dodgers

Once the Detroit Tigers officially opened up the Tarik Skubal sweepstakes this season, it became a free-for-all for any team vying for postseason contention to trade for him. After all, what club wouldn’t want to acquire a two-time Cy Young Award winner? But with the top-ranked farm system in all of baseball and the willingness to part ways with top-flight prospects, the Los Angeles Dodgers eventually landed the dominant lefty. That was something that the Atlanta Braves just couldn't replicate. 

Not only was that a major win for the reigning World Series champions, but it was a costly blow to a team like the Braves. The NL East club was without starting pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach for the entire season and an injury-prone Spencer Strider has simply not been the same since his 2023 season. 

To make matters worse, the Braves continued to lose pitchers to injuries throughout 2026, and Bryce Elder saw a steady regression following a hot start to the season. Despite having Chris Sale at the top of the rotation, Atlanta was eager to add another elite arm at the trade deadline in order to remain a top team in the NL and compete with the Dodgers. However, that eagerness didn’t come without any constraints.  

According to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe, the Braves were simply not willing to include right-handed pitcher Didier Fuentes in a trade package for Skubal. Even with the potential to land one of the top five pitchers in the league, Atlanta allegedly viewed the 21-year-old hurler as a key component to their future and an untouchable asset.

That mindset wasn’t exactly unwarranted, either. 

Although Fuentes struggled through his first four career starts in 2025, he saw a complete reversal of fortune coming out of the Braves bullpen this season. In 58 appearances in the regular season, he sported a 2.50 FIP in 73.1 innings pitched. He also surrendered just 60 hits while striking out 92 batters. He even became an invaluable arm for the Braves during their ill-fated postseason run. 

But does that justify the Braves’ unwillingness to trade him away in a package for Skubal? 

The Dodgers were simply in the best position to acquire Tarik Skubal     

The fact of the matter is that the Dodgers were willing to part ways with outfielder Zyhir Hope in order to acquire Skubal. That was what set them apart from any other potential Tigers trade partner. Even though Hope was a top prospect that many view as capable of becoming a star in this league, he was deemed as expendable by the Dodgers. He was packaged along with pitchers River Ryan and Brady Smith to land Skubal. 

The Dodgers may eventually regret parting ways with a player like Hope. With a .280/.382/.476 career slash line in the minor leagues, he has all of the tools to succeed in the big leagues. That’s why he immediately became the Tigers’ number one overall prospect once he joined the organization. It’s a blow to the Dodgers, but it’s a blow they could afford to take. With prospects like Josue De Paula and Eduardo Quintero set to become potential studs in their own right, the Dodgers could take a chance to trade away Hope. 

The Braves could never afford to play that same type of game with their prospects. Unlike the Dodgers, the Braves have struggled to replenish their minor league system over the last few years. In fact, their system has been ranked in the bottom third of the entire league during that stretch, so it would make sense for the team to clutch their most-treasured prospects. With Skubal only guaranteed to be a rental for the 2026 season, the Braves simply lacked the treasure chest of prospects that the Dodgers have. The Dodgers were always in the best position to sign Skubal this offseason anyhow.

With a line that they reportedly wouldn’t cross, the Braves obviously failed to land Skubal. That move would eventually come back to haunt them just two months later. In Game 1 of the NLDS, Skubal threw six innings against the Braves, surrendering just one run on two hits. The Dodgers won that game 5-3 and it helped set the tone for the entire series. 

Did the Dodgers only beat the Braves in the NLDS because they acquired Skubal? No. But thanks to their success in developing prospects throughout their system, they gained yet another advantage and put themselves in a better position to win. 

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