Chad Tracy on the Dodgers adding Tarik Skubal: ‘We’ll deal with it’ if teams meet in World Series

LOS ANGELES — Sequestered in a wide-open American League, done with the Dodgers after this weekend, Chad Tracy took a practical approach to the two-time defending World Series champions acquiring two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal.

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“I don’t know what else to say other than he’s really good. He’s obviously one of the best pitchers of baseball, and they got him. So, good for them,” the Red Sox’ interim manager said Sunday before his team completed a sweep with an 8-4 victory.

“Looks like they’re going to be positioned to have a pretty good rotation, and we don’t play them anymore after today unless we get to the World Series. So we’ll deal with it then.”

The swap — with pitcher River Ryan, outfield prospect Zyhir Hope, and pitching prospect Brady Smith going to Detroit — was the talk of the baseball world Sunday, perhaps no place more so than Dodger Stadium.

Skubal was perhaps the Dodgers’ only target ahead of the trade deadline at 6 p.m. Monday. Andrew Friedman, president of baseball operations, said talks began Friday and concluded during the Red Sox’ 3-2 win Saturday night.

“We were of the mind to be aggressive on one player this deadline, and fortunately we were able to line up,” Friedman said.

The Dodgers were still abuzz Sunday morning.

“We got better,” Edwin Diaz said. “We got a real chance to win another World Series.”

Fellow reliever Miguel Rojas said: “I really appreciate the front office and ownership that we have, because they committed the way we committed.”

Heading into the deadline, the Red Sox hadn’t made any major moves since the July 26 Curtis Mead trade. Plenty remained possible, though, as they sought potential upgrades at shortstop and/or catcher and considered bolstering the pitching staff.

“Everybody in baseball that’s a baseball fan follows it and you see what’s going down,” Tracy said. “But nothing’s changed our routine. We have a job to do here, and if something happens, I’m sure I’ll hear from [chief baseball officer Craig Breslow].”

As for how Tracy follows trade developments from around the game?

“I don’t have notifications on — on any of that stuff,” he said. “That’s not an ideal healthy lifestyle.”

Around the league, there’s greater clarity about available targets for the Red Sox. According to multiple major league sources, the Marlins are showing no inclination to move shortstop Otto Lopez. Their All-Star, who remains under team control through 2029, has hit .321/.354/.479 with 9 homers, 44 extra-base hits, and 23 steals.

While Miami is trying to avoid dealing long-term centerpieces, they would consider dealing catcher Liam Hicks, who has a .282/.363/.432 line with 14 homers this season. The Marlins have rookie Joe Mack as their everyday catcher, while Hicks is primarily a DH who catches roughly one game per week.

Hicks, 27, has four years of additional service time beyond this year, so any deal involving him would require a significant return.

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The Sox’ catchers went into Sunday with a combined line of .221/.305/.312 with four homers — fewest by any team in the majors.

Willson Contreras cleared concussion protocol and returned to the Sox’ lineup, batting fourth and playing first base. He had been out after getting hit in the head with a pitch Friday.

Tracy didn’t consider easing him in as the designated hitter.

“I don’t think he’s the biggest fan of [DHing], and, if I ever, I always check in with him on that and usually it’s like, ‘No, no, first base,’ ” Tracy said. “He likes to play the field, and there’s guys like that that like to stay active and not think too much in here.”

Contreras played the whole game, but went 0 for 5 with two strikeouts.

Among those impressed by the Red Sox’ recent play: Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.

“Really good ball club. Really fundamentally sound,” he said before the finale. “It’s a younger group as far as service time. They’re hungry. Seems like they play well together. They can really defend. They’re athletic. Remind me a lot of the Brewers. They can really pitch. They don’t beat themselves. Dynamic.”

The Red Sox have been regularly playing three infielders they acquired from the Brewers in February: Caleb Durbin, Andruw Monasterio, and Anthony Seigler. Monasterio and Seigler are subject to potential role changes pending trade acquisitions.

“[The Sox] put the ball in play,” Roberts said. “Even getting beat for two days, it’s been fun to watch them play.”

Garrett Whitlock entered Sunday having pitched just twice in the previous eight days, a concerted effort by the team to lighten his load because he had pitched so much during the historically successful July.

He made 11 appearances in a span of 21 days, a stretch that included the All-Star break and a couple of instances of warming up in the bullpen only to end up not entering the game because the score changed.

“He’s just beat up. Guys get like that, and that was the same way with [Tyron Guerrero]. We were staying away from him. Just when they throw as much as they did,” Tracy said. “It’s not just the outings, but there’s also been other instances of getting hot. So you add all that up, that’s a lot of bullets that they’ve used. So just trying to be aware of guys saying, like, when we feel like as a group they’re a little beat up, how can we organically find a breather for them?”

Both pitchers saw action Sunday, with Guerr­ero allowing a run in the seventh, and Whitlock pitching a scoreless ninth.

In a three-game series against the visiting White Sox beginning Tuesday, the Sox will keep their rotation in line: Sonny Gray is slated for the opener, followed by Patrick Sandoval and Ranger Suarez.

Gray and Sandoval flew back to Boston during the day Sunday. That is a normal practice for clubs, made all the more logical given that the rest of the Red Sox were due to get home after sunrise Monday.

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Peter Abraham and Alex Speier of the Globe staff contributed to this report.