The Dodgers got their guy in Skubal. What might they do next?

Not long before first pitch on Saturday night, manager Dave Roberts received some promising news from president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman: The Dodgers were nearing a deal to acquire two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal from the Tigers.

At that time, the deal was not yet done. There were still medicals to review and details to finalize. But sure enough, about 10 minutes after the dust settled on a 3-2 loss to the Red Sox, the Dodgers emerged as the winners of the Skubal sweepstakes.

"I personally don't put too much hope into anything because a lot of it doesn't happen," Roberts said. "All the while knowing that the guys are doing the best job they can, which is what's best for the organization. Just knowing the prospects that we did have. They were laser focused on this particular player. So I was hopeful, but not overly, like, it-needs-to-happen type thing."

While Friedman has repeated time and again that his goal is to not buy in July (or August, with this year's Trade Deadline falling on Monday), the opportunity to acquire a talent of Skubal's caliber was too good for L.A. to pass up. The Dodgers saw it as a move that could meaningfully impact their championship odds, which are already high as they bid for the first three-peat in the Major Leagues since the Yankees won three in a row from 1998-2000.

"I think coming into this Deadline, our mindset was we’re going to be really aggressive for one player," Friedman said. "If that player doesn’t get moved, if that player goes somewhere else, it’s a different mindset."

The Dodgers got their guy, but they may not be done. The acquisition of Skubal will have ripple effects beyond Deadline day as well. Here's what to keep an eye on in the wake of the deal:

Remaining moves

The Dodgers are still engaged in conversations on multiple fronts, Friedman said, but nothing major would appear to be in the works. The team feels confident in its existing roster and the reinforcements it will receive from the injured list before season's end, including Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Will Smith.

That said, the Dodgers could sell off some of their depth pieces who have become superfluous with the team getting healthier, such as veteran left-hander Eric Lauer, who has been bumped from the rotation with the acquisition of Skubal, and outfielder Alex Call, whose playing time has been limited since Kiké Hernández returned from the IL.

Rotation matters

Skubal's first start as a Dodger is set for Tuesday at Wrigley Field. His slotting into the rotation, followed by Snell's expected return from the IL the following week, could allow the Dodgers to go back to using a six-man rotation, although they'd be a man short in the bullpen with Shohei Ohtani's pitching on hold due to lingering soreness in his left knee.

If the Dodgers choose to employ five starters until Ohtani is back, then they'll have some decisions to make. One candidate to be bumped once both Skubal and Snell are active is Emmet Sheehan, who has kept his rotation spot despite season-long inconsistency because the team had no better alternative.

Ohtani's ramp-up

Ohtani's last pitching start was one month ago. He's expected to resume playing catch this week, which should give him enough time to build back up as a full starter by season's end -- if he has no further setbacks. With Skubal, the Dodgers are in a much more comfortable position if anything does go awry as Ohtani works to get back on the mound.

Postseason roster

Admittedly, it's a little too early to think about how the Dodgers' postseason rosters might look. But if they're able to get into October at full strength, or close, then having Skubal in the rotation could potentially mean that someone like Glasnow would shift to the 'pen. L.A. will look to carry its 14 best pitchers (including Ohtani) on the roster, regardless of typical role. With Skubal, the postseason staff has the potential to be that much deeper as a result.