Shohei Ohtani conspiracy has no merit amid Dodgers' Tarik Skubal trade chase

Although the Dodgers have been hopeful Shohei Ohtani’s knee inflammation, which has kept him off the mound since July 3, wouldn’t affect his ability to hit, they left him out of Thursday night’s lineup against the Mariners. Dave Roberts promised he’d be back on Friday (he was), but the way this issue has lingered is becoming more and more of a concern for Dodgers fans, to the point where some are even calling for an IL stint.

Unsurprisingly, Dodgers haters are crying foul, especially after Jon Morosi reported that LA’s “interest in Tarik Skubal has increased due to questions surrounding Shohei Ohtani’s availability to pitch.”

The responses couldn’t be more predictable. Could the Dodgers be fudging or overexaggerating Ohtani’s injury concerns (which also includes an issue with his biceps) to make a Skubal trade seem like it’s coming more from a place of need than excess?

The very clear answer to this is “no.” The Dodgers would’ve been thought of as favorites to land Skubal even with a fully healthy Ohtani, and they would still be in the best position to land him either way. Andrew Friedman and LA’s front office has never apologized for what Dodgers haters would call greediness before, and they’re not going to start with Skubal.

A Dodgers-Tarik Skubal trade would’ve been likely even without an injury to Shohei Ohtani

Friedman has frequently played coy when it comes to the Dodgers’ excesses. After their 2023-24 offseason, when they signed Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto and traded for (and then extended) Tyler Glasnow, Friedman said that they were just rewarding their passionate fanbase. When asked about the Dodgers’ plans for this trade deadline, he said, “I think our mindset is, there aren’t just that many star players in the game. And anytime one is available, we’re always going to participate in those conversations.”

The possibility that Ohtani might not pitch again this season doesn’t change the Dodgers’ core philosophy which, put simply, is to do whatever it takes to win. They already know how other teams see them and have even embraced the new Evil Empire title; why should they care about making themselves look even the slightest bit desperate now?

The Dodgers are the only team in baseball that not only have the pieces to get a Skubal trade done, but the willingness to give those pieces up. They’re not the Brewers or Rays, who would be loath to give up their homegrown talent; nor the Braves, who dislike trading for rentals; nor the Phillies, who might not have enough to sway the Tigers.

If the Dodgers are going to go for it, they’re going to go for it, and they’ll make no excuse nor apologies.

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