The baseball world was stunned by the Los Angeles Dodgers landing former Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal on Saturday, but New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone was far from surprised.
"Not shocked," Boone said when asked about the back-to-back World Series champs loading up for another run, per Gary Phillips of New York Daily News.
The Dodgers acquiring Skubal despite already operating with the league's highest payroll has generated plenty of discourse about a potential salary cap, but Boone doesn't see an issue with Los Angeles adding another star to its rotation.
"They're playing by the rules. They're trying to better their team," Boone said.
He added, "I'm with the New York Yankees, and my job is to help us be the best we can be, so I don't get caught up in good, bad, indifferent. They're trying to obviously get back to and win a World Series, and they made a move they think will help that."
Skubal won two consecutive American League Cy Young Awards before being dealt to the Dodgers. He missed time early in the current campaign with an elbow issue, but has crafted a 2.79 ERA in 16 appearances this season.
Detroit signed Skubal to a one-year contract last offseason through arbitration. He's eligible for free agency this winter.
Skubal joins a loaded Dodgers pitching staff that also features Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Roki Sasaki. Los Angeles has won two consecutive World Series, including a victory over Boone's Yankees in 2024.
