The Dodgers have never been shy about making a deadline splash, and this year was no different. They landed back-to-back AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal and All-Star left-hander Kris Bubic, two headline-grabbing additions that immediately put them in the center of the conversation. But both pitchers are free agents now, and Los Angeles has a history of making big midseason moves without following through with a long-term reunion.
That pattern has shown up with some of the biggest names the Dodgers have brought in over the years.
Manny Machado arrived in Los Angeles in mid-July of 2018, with five prospects heading to the Orioles in the deal. He gave the Dodgers 66 games the rest of that season and produced 2.6 bWAR, an .825 OPS, 13 home runs and 42 RBIs.
In the postseason, he appeared in 16 games during the Dodgers’ World Series-losing run, but his bat cooled to a .672 OPS. Machado later signed a 10-year, $300 million contract with the San Diego Padres and has remained there ever since, becoming hated by the majority of Dodger fans in the process.
The 2021 deadline brought another major swing, as the Dodgers sent a four-prospect package to the Washington Nationals for Max Scherzer and Trea Turner while trying to defend their World Series title. Scherzer made 11 starts for Los Angeles over the final two months, putting up a 1.98 ERA with 89 strikeouts in 68.1 innings.
He then took the ball four times in the postseason and posted a 2.16 ERA, but the finish was rough: the Dodgers had to scratch him for Game 6 of the NLCS against the Atlanta Braves, and they went on to lose the series. Scherzer signed with the New York Mets after that and later pitched for the Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays.
Turner stuck around a bit longer because he had an extra year of team control when he got to Los Angeles, and the Dodgers got a strong season and a half out of him. In 212 games, he hit 31 home runs, drove in 128 runs, posted a .843 OPS and stole 38 bases. When he left, he signed an 11-year, $300 million deal with the Phillies.
Yu Darvish was another deadline addition who never became a long-term Dodger. Los Angeles acquired him in 2017, sending three of their Top 30 prospects to the Texas Rangers.
Darvish pitched nine times in the regular season and logged a 3.44 ERA across 49.2 innings. The postseason, though, was a different story: he allowed 11 runs in 14.2 innings over four starts.
After his Dodgers stint ended, he signed with the Chicago Cubs before later joining Machado in San Diego.
Whether the Dodgers ultimately make the same choice with Skubal is still unsettled, but they won’t be alone in chasing him. For now, they’ll try to turn another deadline gamble into a piece that helps them push back toward the World Series after their disappointing end to 2026.
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Former Dodgers All-Star Is Still Fighting To Stick Elsewhere
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Now Kansas City has signaled it wants to keep him around, exercising its club option for the 2027 season at a $2.5 million salary. For Dodgers fans, it is another twist in the career of a pitcher who spent 2019 through 2025 in Los Angeles, reached the 2020 World Series, and then was designated for assignment after the 2025 season, only to land elsewhere still fighting to establish himself. [Read more 🡒]