""The question gets asked, and it's always respectful," Cherington said at the General Managers meetings. "Teams have to ask the question. I suspect that won't end. But the answer's been consistent.""
"The question keeps surfacing because Skenes, just two seasons into his major league career, is arguably the best pitcher in the sport at just 23 years old and the Pirates have failed to build anything close to a winning roster around him. The Pirates finished last in the National League Central for the second straight season despite Skenes leading the majors with a 1.97 ERA in 187⅔ innings across 32 starts. He made the All-Star team again and is the favorite to win the NL Cy Young Award on Thursday. And yet the Pirates finished 71-91, five games worse than in 2024."
"Trading Skenes would net Pittsburgh a massive return, but the Pirates view Skenes as a building block as they seek to reach the postseason for the first time since 2015. Instead, Cherington said the club this winter, with more payroll "flexibility" to acquire talent, will prioritize improving an offense that ranked last in the majors in runs scored and 29th in wRC+ in 2025 to better complement its pitching staff."
Ben Cherington reiterated that the Pittsburgh Pirates will not trade Paul Skenes this offseason and said inquiries from other clubs have been regular but brief. Skenes, 23, led the majors with a 1.97 ERA in 187⅔ innings across 32 starts, made the All-Star team, and is a favorite for the NL Cy Young Award despite the Pirates finishing 71-91 and last in the NL Central for a second straight season. The Pirates intend to keep Skenes as a building block and use added payroll "flexibility" this winter to prioritize improving an offense that ranked last in runs and 29th in wRC+.
Read at ESPN.com
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