The Brewers took plenty of heat after the trade deadline for not landing Tarik Skubal, but the new details around that chase paint a different picture. Milwaukee didn’t sit on its hands. It made a serious offer, and one that would have cost the organization plenty.
According to Andy McCullough of The Athletic, the Brewers put together a package built around infielder Luis Peña, their No. 2 prospect, along with utility man Jett Williams, who ranks No. 10, and outfielder Josh Adamczewski, the No. 3 prospect. Milwaukee did not include starter Logan Henderson, which had already been reported, but the rest of the offer was substantial.
The Tigers, though, had a clear answer in mind. Scott Harris and Detroit ultimately sent Skubal to the Dodgers for outfielder Zyhir Hope and pitchers River Ryan and Brady Smith.
McCullough reported that after Milwaukee’s proposal, the Brewers heard nothing back until later that evening, when they noticed Dodgers Double-A outfielder Zyhir Hope had been scratched. Soon after, Harris called Matt Arnold to tell him Skubal would not be going to Milwaukee.
"I appreciated the s- out of that," Arnold said. "He was very transparent."
That last part matters, because it shows Milwaukee wasn’t just checking in. The Brewers were in the mix in a real way, and they only got shut out once the Dodgers stepped in with pitchers - the kind of return Harris apparently wanted. Ryan was also coming off a hamstring issue, leaving Detroit with two arms in the deal.
Williams was the only piece in Milwaukee’s offer who might have helped the Tigers right away after the deadline, though he has been struggling a bit at Triple-A. Beyond that, the trade market context also sharpened the picture.
During the postseason, starting pitching was nearly a non-factor. Jacob Misiorowski didn’t go more than six innings in a start, and it took until his third outing for him to get through five.
Skubal logged six innings and five innings in his two starts before the Dodgers were swept out of the postseason.
Strip it down, and the math is simple enough: the Dodgers paid three prospects for 11 Tarik Skubal innings.
For Milwaukee, the takeaway is pretty clean. The Brewers made a real run at Skubal, they didn’t land him, and they still ended the year with a World Series title.
In Other News...
Wisconsins Brutal Finish Just Put Luke Fickell In The Spotlight
Wisconsins path to the College Football Playoff is still technically alive, but it is hanging by a thread after a rough stretch has left the Badgers needing a near-perfect run to stay in the conversation. ESPNs FPI gives Wisconsin a 9.8% chance, and the math is simple enough from here: the Badgers are 5-2 and would have to sweep the rest of the schedule to keep any realistic playoff hopes intact.
The problem is the schedule does not offer much breathing room, with Iowa, Rutgers, Maryland, Purdue and Minnesota still ahead. Even with the team sitting in a decent position overall, the more likely finish appears to be three or four more wins, which would leave Luke Fickell and his program with plenty to sort through as the season winds down. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Just Suffered The Kind Of Loss That Changes Everything
A 30-0 loss to Iowa on Oct. 31 did more than hand Wisconsin a bruising defeat, it knocked the Badgers out of the AP Top 25 and left the program searching for answers on both sides of the ball. The game never found much rhythm for Wisconsin, which was undone by poor time of possession, turnovers and penalties while Iowa controlled the flow with sustained drives that kept the Badgers on the back foot.
Colton Josephs rough night ended with a benching, adding another layer to a loss that already felt like a turning point. Wisconsins defense could not get off the field, the offense never settled in, and the kind of one-sided result that lingers well beyond one Saturday now leaves the Badgers facing a much different conversation about where the season goes from here. [Read more 🡒]
Luke Fickell Just Made Wisconsins Iowa Problem Feel Even Worse
The latest loss to Iowa only deepened the sense that Wisconsins problems in this rivalry are becoming more than a one-game issue. The Badgers were shut out again, and under Luke Fickell, the gap has only looked wider when these teams meet. Fickell called it a decisive defeat and did not have an immediate explanation for why his team keeps running into the same wall against the Hawkeyes.
For Wisconsin, the concern is no longer just the scoreboard on one Saturday. The offense has struggled badly in these matchups, and each flat performance adds more pressure around a program that expected a quicker climb under Fickell. When the same opponent keeps exposing the same flaws, questions about the direction of the team and the coachs standing only get louder. [Read more 🡒]