Much to the disappointment of the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays, starting pitcher Tarik Skubal is now a Los Angeles Dodger. 

On Saturday night, the Detroit Tigers sent Skubal to the Dodgers for pitchers River Ryan and Brady Smith and outfielder Zyhir Hope. In a story published Sunday, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal shared how the two-time American League Cy Young winner landed in Tinseltown instead of Milwaukee (69-41 entering Sunday) or Tampa Bay (65-45). 

Report expands on how the Dodgers acquired Tarik Skubal

Skubal is on a one-year, $32M deal with $9.4M of his salary remaining. Rosenthal reported that neither the Brewers nor the Dodgers viewed the cash as an "obstacle," but they weren't willing to move top prospects for the 29-year-old pitcher.

As of Sunday morning, FanGraphs Baseball ranks the Brewers farm system No. 2 in baseball, and the Rays' No. 1. Milwaukee's minor league network features shortstop Jesus Made, the top prospect in baseball, via FanGraphs. Milwaukee and Tampa Bay are smaller-market teams that can't afford to lose valuable assets, like elite prospects. Even then, if trading one helped it land a player of Skubal's caliber, that may have been worthwhile.

Entering Sunday morning, Skubal had a 7-5 record, an elite 2.79 ERA, 116 strikeouts and a 0.91 WHIP. Keep in mind, he has posted that stellar stat line despite missing most of May and some of June with a left elbow issue. 

The Dodgers (69-42) add Skubal to an already stacked rotation that features Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki, making them an even bigger World Series favorite. As of Sunday morning, FanDuel Sportsbook lists L.A.'s Fall Classic odds at +145, ahead of the 62-49 New York Yankees (+600) and Brewers (+900). 

The scary thing for the rest of baseball is that L.A.'s pitching staff still isn't at full strength, even after the Skubal trade. Starting pitchers Blake Snell (left elbow) and Tyler Glasnow (back) remain on the 60-day injured list but are expected to return for the postseason. Shohei Ohtani, meanwhile, is battling lingering left knee soreness and a right biceps problem but will likely pitch again. 

The Dodgers' acquisition of Skubal strengthens the case for a salary cap in baseball. Per Spotrac, the two-time defending World Series champions now have a payroll of $430.51M. However, even if the league implemented a cap, L.A. would likely find a way to remain on top.

"The dirty little secret of a salary cap and floor system is that it would not guarantee small-market teams' success," wrote Rosenthal. "Many would need to develop more of a killer instinct, an instinct the Dodgers demonstrate time and again." 

That mindset is why the Dodgers may become the first team to win three straight World Series titles since the Yankees did so from 1998-2000. It's also why the Brewers and Rays are still chasing their first championship.