The Pittsburgh Pirates have long been the poster child for baseball’s small-market malaise, cycling through rebuilds, dangling franchise cornerstones like bait on a hook, and often asking fans to place hope in the promise of tomorrow. But in 2023, fortune finally cracked the door open. A 100-loss season coincided with the debut of Major League Baseball’s new draft lottery, and for once, fate favored Pittsburgh. The Pirates won the lottery, not by having the worst record, but simply by chance, and landed the No. 1 overall pick. Their reward, Paul Skenes.
A Fast Track to Stardom
A towering, flame-throwing right-hander out of LSU, Skenes was the kind of talent that scouts dream about. He didn’t just impress in college; he dominated. And the transition to pro ball didn’t slow him down. Less than a year after being drafted, Skenes debuted for the Pirates on May 11, 2024. From that moment on, he’s been nothing short of a phenomenon.
In two seasons, Skenes has built a stat line that reads like a Cy Young resume, because, well, it is. A Rookie of the Year award in 2024 was followed by a unanimous Cy Young in 2025. He’s gone 21-13 with a pristine 1.96 ERA, a whip-thin 0.95 WHIP, and a staggering 386 strikeouts in just over 320 innings. He hasn’t just been good, he’s been elite.
And yet, despite all of this, whispers persist. Trade rumors. Hints that the Pirates,yes, again, might be willing to cash in their ace for a package of prospects. Pirates GM Ben Cherington tried to quiet the noise, stating publicly that Skenes “is going to be a Pirate in 2026.” But the fact that teams are asking and the front office is listening opens a door that should remain shut.
Trading Skenes Would Be a Franchise Failure
To trade Paul Skenes would be more than a misstep. It would be a betrayal. He’s not just a player; he’s a symbol. A symbol of hope, of talent finally realized, of a fan base that has waited far too long for a franchise player they could believe in. He is controllable, healthy, dominant, and young. He is precisely the kind of player you build around, not auction off.
And the worst part? Trading him would confirm every cynical belief fans hold about Pirates ownership: that profit matters more than winning. That revenue-sharing checks are more important than a contending team. That the organization would rather restart the clock—again—than finally push the chips in.
There will always be suitors. Of course, there will. Who wouldn’t want Paul Skenes in their rotation? But that’s not the point. The point is that for once, the Pirates have a foundational ace under team control, still pre-arbitration, and they have the financial room and resources to build around him.
It’s Time for the Pirates to Act Like a Big-League Club
Right now, Pittsburgh’s estimated payroll sits at just over $60 million. That’s not a limitation. That’s a choice. USA Today reports they are among the most profitable teams in baseball, often choosing to stash revenue-sharing money rather than reinvest it. That’s not strategy, that’s negligence.
The pitching foundation is in place. Skenes is the anchor, and there’s enough young talent around him to form a real rotation. But the offense? It’s nowhere near good enough. Free agents are available. The clock is ticking.
If they move Skenes, the message will be undeniable: Pittsburgh isn’t serious about competing. They’ll be running a glorified farm system dressed in major-league uniforms, asking fans to wait, again, for a someday that never arrives. Keep Paul Skenes. Pay real players. Field a contender. It’s not a complicated formula. It’s just one the Pirates have refused to follow for far too long.
