Brewers Rightly Refused to Include 4 Players in Tarik Skubal Talks

The Milwaukee Brewers were heavily connected to two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal before the 2026 Major League Baseball trade deadline, but they were unable to get a deal done.

Milwaukee took some heat from the national media for not getting a deal over the finish line, but it's not for a lack of trying. In fact, there's a real argument that Milwaukee offered a better deal than what the Detroit Tigers got from the Los Angeles Dodgers. Milwaukee reportedly offered Luis Peña, who is the No. 18 overall prospect in baseball, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. McCalvy reported that Milwaukee offered three players for Skubal, including at least one other top 100 prospect. The best prospect Los Angeles got was Zyhir Hope, who is seven spots lower than Peña at No. 25.

Milwaukee pushed for one of the best overall starters in the game, but there were a few players off limits, of course. ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that Milwaukee didn't put No. 1 prospect Jesús Made on the table, along with Logan Henderson, Cooper Pratt and Luis Lara.

Brewers' Untouchables Revealed In Tarik Skubal Talks

Aug 4, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"The Brewers immediately told Detroit they wouldn't include 19-year-old shortstop Jesús Made, the No. 1 prospect in baseball, but Milwaukee's minor league depth ran far deeper," Passan wrote.

" ... Accordingly, the Brewers' list of untouchables went beyond Made. They wouldn't move shortstop Cooper Pratt or outfielder Luis Lara, both of whom signed long-term contracts before their major league debuts. Right-hander Logan Henderson, with five more years of club control, was off-limits as well."

This shouldn't surprise anyone. Skubal is a rental. The Dodgers are fortunate to have him now and very well could end up re-signing him in free agency, but it's going to cost a pretty penny to do so. Skubal is heading to the open market after the season, so arguably it was a good thing that Milwaukee didn't completely mortgage the future to get him.

Made has superstar written all over him. He's just 19 years old but there's a real chance that fans see him in the majors as soon as next season. Pratt and Lara have both already signed long-term extensions and are clearly core pieces moving forward.

Henderson is someone with all of the talent in the world and years of control ahead. He's under team control through the 2031 season. He has a 2.70 ERA and a 6-1 record in 10 starts this season. If he can continue to pitch like this, he is the better value over the next few years. That's not say he's a better player than Skubal. But if he can toss a sub-3.00 ERA without costing an arm and a leg, like Skubal will, that's excellent.

While not Skubal, the Brewers were able to improve their rotation by going out and adding Dustin May, who looked great in his first outing with the organization.

The rumors were loud around Skubal, but the Brewers did the right thing.

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