Dodgers manager Dave Roberts addressed the trade deadline acquisition of a pitcher, referred to in the conversation as "Scoobal" or "School," during a press conference on August 2, 2026. Roberts said the deal appeared close before it was finalized. "I heard that it was pretty much done, but there's obviously things that have to go on, you know, with medical, so it wasn't actually even finalized," he said.
Roberts noted the front office and farm system deserve credit for completing the trade, adding that the Dodgers still retain a strong player pipeline. "We still got, you know, arguably one of the top two or three farm systems in baseball a day later," he said. He added that he had talked to Andrew Friedman before the game about the situation, and mentioned he had only briefly met the newly acquired player at an All-Star Game a couple of years earlier. Roberts also said the player is coming off elbow surgery and faces free agency at the end of the year, and noted the team had spoken with him after his game in Sacramento the night before he joined the Dodgers.
Turning to the rotation, Roberts said 2026's group, assuming health, is as good as any he has seen. He also addressed Shohei Ohtani's status, explaining that the team plans to build him up slowly and methodically regardless of whether the trade had occurred. Roberts said Ohtani is expected to begin playing catch soon, likely starting when the team arrives in Chicago.
Asked about the possibility of a three-peat, Roberts stated that his focus remains solely on winning in 2026. He credited Peter Gooers with helping him keep the team focused on winning the World Series regardless of how many star players are on the roster. Roberts also praised the Red Sox after facing them in person, calling them a fundamentally sound, athletic, and hungry young ball club.
Roberts also referenced a long-standing relationship with a player named Chad, saying he has known him since Chad was a young kid playing for his father. With the trade now completed and medical review behind the club, Roberts said the plan going forward is to build up Ohtani gradually while integrating the newly acquired pitcher into a rotation he considers among the best he has seen.