The Pittsburgh Pirates have been clear about their intentions with superstar pitcher Paul Skenes.
On numerous occasions, the Pirates have flatly said they have no intentions of trading Skenes the defending National League Rookie of the Year and soon-to-be two-time All-Star. Sadly, the Pirates also don’t have much else going for them.
Much has been made of the Pirates’ lack of spending and pitiful overall roster. Some analysts think trading Skenes would be the right move to jump-start a long-term rebuild, assuming owner Bob Nutting isn’t going to suddenly approve a drastic payroll increase.
Now, it appears some general managers believe their job is to convince the Pirates that’s the right move for their long-term outlook.
On Thursday, insider Jim Bowden of The Athletic reported that the Pirates are likely to receive multiple inquiries about Skenes, whether they like it or not.
“As we’ve written many times, the Pirates have no interest in trading Paul Skenes as this year’s deadline. However, multiple GMs have told me that won’t stop them from making serious offers to acquire him,” Bowden wrote.
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“And, if you’re the Pirates, you have to listen because you have so many needs to fill — on your big-league team and also in your farm system. The return for Skenes in a trade would have to be even more than the haul the (Washington) Nationals got for Juan Soto at the 2022 deadline. However, he is the best pitcher in baseball, with four more years of team control, so it arguably would be worth paying that type of package.”
The Nationals got five players for Soto that summer, including All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams, number-one starter MacKenzie Gore, and rising superstar outfielder James Wood. With as much remaining team control as he has, Skenes might command an even bigger offer.
Still, Skenes is the one thing attracting fans to come to PNC Park and see a Pirates game these days, and fans would feel utterly betrayed if he was traded so soon. It remains unlikely, but it’s also unlikely this team will turn into a winner anytime soon if it maintains the status quo.
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