Said another executive, whose team did not bid on Skubal: “No use playing the rest of the year. It’s over.’’

“It will be interesting to see how every contender in the National League reacts,’’ one AL executive said. “Are they still going to be aggressive knowing you got to go through the Dodgers? It’s different in the American League. There’s no super team and you got a real chance to get to the World Series.’’