The Los Angeles Dodgers made the most noise of any team at the trade deadline, acquiring back-to-back AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal while also adding All-Star left-hander Kris Bubic.
Both players are currently free agents, though, and while the Dodgers could still very well be in on them, they have avoided re-signing stars from midseason moves in years past. Here are some of the big names the Dodgers passed on re-signing in recent memory.
Manny Machado
The Dodgers acquired Manny Machado midway through July in 2018, sending five prospects the other way for the third baseman.
Machado played 66 games with the Dodgers through the remainder of the season, accruing 2.6 bWAR while posting an .825 OPS with 13 homers and 42 RBIs. He featured in 16 postseason games during the Dodgers’ World Series-losing effort, posting a meager .672 OPS in the offseason.
He went on to sign with the San Diego Padres on a 10-year, $300 million deal, and has been there since—becoming hated by the majority of Dodger fans in the process.
Max Scherzer and Trea Turner
The Dodgers splashed at the deadline in 2021 as they looked to defend their World Series championship, sending a four-prospect package to the Washington Nationals in exchange for Max Scherzer and Trea Turner.
Scherzer started 11 games for the Dodgers throughout the remaining two months of the season, posting a 1.98 ERA and striking out 89 batters in 68.1 innings pitched.
He pitched four times in the postseason, posting a solid 2.16 ERA, but his overuse ended his Dodgers tenure on a sour note after the Dodgers had to scratch him for his Game 6 start against the Atlanta Braves in the NLCS—a series which the Dodgers went on to lose.
He signed with the New York Mets afterwards, and has since pitched for the Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays.
Turner spent a little more time with the Dodgers, as he had an extra year of team control upon his arrival in Los Angeles, and had a great season and a half with the team. He played 212 games as a Dodger, hitting 31 homers and driving in 128 runs with the team while posting a .843 OPS and stealing 38 bases.
He signed an 11-year, $300 million deal with the Phillies after leaving the Dodgers.
Yu Darvish
The Dodgers traded for Yu Darvish at 2017’s deadline, sending three of their Top 30 prospects to the Texas Rangers in return.
He pitched nine times through the remainder of the regular season, posting a 3.44 ERA through 49.2 innings with the team. He also pitched in the postseason, but had a negative impact in his outings, allowing 11 runs over the course of 14.2 innings pitched in four starts.
After his time with the Dodgers ended, Darvish signed a deal with the Chicago Cubs before joining Machado in San Diego.
While it’s not certain that the Dodgers will pass on Skubal just yet, they definitely won’t be the only team in the race for his signature. They’ll hope to reclaim the left-hander as they begin to work their way back towards the World Series following their disappointing end to 2026.
