"Pirates ace and likely NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes may be coveted by every other team and fan base in the league, but general manager Ben Cherington was quick to stomp out any trade chatter before it even picked up. Speaking with FanSided's Robert Murray, Cherington plainly stated that he will not trade his ace this offseason. Skenes "is going to be a Pirate in 2026," Cherington said."
"Since taking a major league mound for the first time, Skenes has started 55 games and posted a comical 1.96 earned run average (1.96 ERA in 2024, 1.97 in 2025). He's punched out 31% of his opponents against just a 5.9% walk rate and has only allowed 21 home runs in 320 2/3 innings (0.59 HR/9). Forty-seven percent of his batted balls have been grounders, and opponents have averaged a paltry 87.7 mph off the bat against him."
Paul Skenes will remain a Pittsburgh Pirate in 2026 and is not available for trade this offseason. Skenes was the No. 1 overall pick in 2023, started the 2024 All-Star Game, won 2024 NL Rookie of the Year, and is poised to win an NL Cy Young Award. In his first 55 starts he posted a 1.96 earned run average, struck out 31% of opponents, walked 5.9%, and allowed 21 home runs in 320 2/3 innings (0.59 HR/9). Forty-seven percent of batted balls against him were grounders and opponents averaged 87.7 mph off the bat. Continued dominance could lead to a record contract or an eventual trade before free agency, with owner frugality cited as a possible exception.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]