Tarik Skubal to the Dodgers isn’t just a blockbuster trade. It’s the latest warning sign for baseball.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, two-time defending World Series champions, acquired pitcher Tarik Skubal, the two-time reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, in a trade involving prospects. The move has drawn significant backlash from fans concerned about competitive balance in baseball. NBC News frames the trade as the latest warning sign about growing inequality between large and small market teams in Major League Baseball.