Where Tarik Skubal would land was the biggest question and storyline of the trade deadline this year, but he ultimately ended up with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Not too much of anyone's surprise, however. The Dodgers are extremely aggressive and were able to put together a package that the Detroit Tigers liked. There were reports that other teams engaged in Skubal talks, and it's not surprising. He is arguably the best pitcher in baseball, and since he was a rental, every contender was going to be able to afford him in terms of dollars. However, not every team was as willing to give up prospects.
The Milwaukee Brewers were the most notable contender that fell short for Skubal. Reports suggested that the Brewers were unwilling to give up Logan Henderson, who will take the mound in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series. However, they clearly were not the only team that fell short for one reason or another. According to The Boston Globe's Peter Abraham, the Atlanta Braves were also interested.
"The Braves were interested in lefthander Tarik Skubal at the trade deadline but wouldn’t part with 21-year-old righthander Didier Fuentes," Abraham wrote on Oct. 10.
Fuentes made his debut last season, making four starts for the Braves. He had a 13.85 ERA, but this year he served out of the bullpen. He made just one start, allowing four runs in three innings in April. Since then, he made 56 appearances out of the bullpen, working 66 1/3 innings and posting a 2.04 ERA. He made five appearances in October, but allowed three earned runs in seven innings.
Would the Braves have been better off with Skubal than Fuentes in the postseason? Well, there's certainly an argument to be made. However, it's unlikely that the Braves would be able to retain Skubal in free agency, and then they would be without a very promising young pitcher.