The Pittsburgh Pirates are 16-33 and recently fired their manager, Derek Shelton. With how things are going, their young ace, Paul Skenes, has been the center of some trade rumors.
Recently, during an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," MLB insider Jeff Passan urged the Pirates to trade Paul Skenes, noting their failure to build and contender and their unlikely odds to sign him to an extension. Skenes knows the type of money he can get when he hits free agency in 2030, and the Pirates will have to be a legitimate contender to convince him to stay.
However, Skenes is only in his second season, and MLB insider Jon Heyman revealed that the Pirates are not even considering trading their young superstar. Skenes already has an All-Star selection to his name and finished third in the National League Cy Young Award voting last year.
"Pirates source: Paul Skenes is not getting traded," Heyman wrote on X. "'No chance, no way, no how,' is the way I heard it. While there’s a bit of logic to such a scenario, superstars just aren’t traded by anyone with 1 year service time and the Pirates remain determined to build around Skenes."
It's no surprise the Pirates are not considering trading Skenes. Down the line, that could change if they continue to be a non-contender and he gets closer to free agency. However, right now, there is still a sense of belief in the team building around him and convincing him to stay.
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Even if Skenes were available right now, the asking price may be enough for other teams to hang up the phone. A package for an ace with four-plus years of club control would likely require multiple top prospects and young big league talent.
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