The Pittsburgh Pirates have limped to the fourth-worst record in MLB (16-33) this season despite the best efforts of their generational ace and 2024 National League Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes. The jarring juxtaposition of Skenes's immense success against the Pirates' lack thereof has both angered and upset fans. And out of those emotions has risen conjecture and speculation about a potential Skenes trade.
As it turns out, the subject is one that has apparently been broached among rival front offices. During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show last week, ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan, while noting that a deal would be unlikely, stated that "there are teams that are already going to ask about Paul Skenes at the trade deadline."
And, thanks to The New York Post's Jon Heyman, there is now an idea of how the Pirates would respond to trade inquiries about the flamethrowing righthander.
Skenes is not getting traded, a Pirates source told Heyman. In fact, the words, "no chance, no way, no how" were used, aptly describing Pittsburgh's emphatic stance when it comes to Skenes's future.
During one of the most impressive rookie seasons in MLB history, Skenes, 22, became the sixth-youngest pitcher to start the MLB All-Star Game, won National League ROY and finished third in the NL Cy Young Award race. Skenes had a 1.96 ERA and 11 wins in 23 starts as a rookie, but an alarming trend—the Pirates' bats or bullpen failing to hold up its end of the bargain for the ace starter—developed during the '24 campaign. And it's continued into the '25 season, as Skenes has a sub-3.00 ERA but has a 3-5 record. The Pirates are 3-7 in his 10 starts this year.
Skenes himself has even admitted that it's been "difficult" seeing the team struggle despite his own individual success. But given the Pirates' lack of recent success—six straight losing seasons—there's not a whole lot of faith that the organization can field a club that reflects Skenes's own brilliance.
Trading the ace for a king's ransom could set up the organization for long-term success while allowing Skenes to where his skills can directly translate to team victories.
As of this point, a Skenes trade is not an idea the Pirates are even willing to discuss.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Pirates Source Had Definitive Message About a Possible Paul Skenes Trade.
