Call for head of Paul Skenes’ Pirates general manager: His lack of success is disastrous

While few realistically expect the Pittsburgh Pirates to act like a big-market juggernaut, especially under notoriously profit-focused owner Bob Nutting, patience is running thin.

And at the center of that frustration is general manager Ben Cherington, whose roster decisions are increasingly under scrutiny.

The Pirates‘ flaws are well-documented. Their offense remains punchless, the bullpen lacks reliable depth, and even a promising rotation is vulnerable beyond rookie sensation Paul Skenes.

With Skenes already looking like an elite frontline starter, every wasted inning of his service time feels criminal for a team stuck in mediocrity. Yet perhaps the most glaring indictment of Cherington‘s tenure isn’t a player still in Pittsburgh, but one who was quietly let go.

Quinn Priester, once a highly regarded prospect in the Pirates‘ system, is now thriving as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers rotation. It’s a development that’s casting a shadow over Cherington‘s decision to trade him away just a year ago.

Priester was shipped to the Red Sox midway through the 2024 season in exchange for infielder/outfielder Nick Yorke, now the Pirates‘ No. 6 prospect according to MLB Pipeline.

At the time, the trade had logic behind it, as Pittsburgh needed bats, and the pipeline was flush with arms like Skenes, Jared Jones, and Bubba Chandler. Yorke, now 23, is hovering near his MLB debut and has been productive at Triple-A with a .726 OPS, six homers, and 39 RBIs in 74 games.

But a deeper look reveals a troubling misstep. The Red Sox turned around and flipped Priester to Milwaukee this past offseason and managed to get far more in return than Pittsburgh did: a top-10 prospect, a recent draft pick, and even a compensatory first-rounder in 2025.

That’s despite the fact Priester spent just a few months in the Red Sox system and didn’t drastically boost his value in that time.

Priester’s breakout in Milwaukee adds salt to the wound

Now with 18 appearances and 13 starts for the Brewers, Priester holds a 3.33 ERA and 1.204 WHIP, numbers that would’ve solidified him as a strong No. 3 starter in Pittsburgh‘s rotation behind Skenes and Mitch Keller.

His strikeout numbers aren’t flashy, but his heavy sinker has made him a groundball machine, limiting damage and frustrating opposing lineups. His 10-strikeout performance against the Dodgers last Friday night only reinforced what the Pirates may have lost.

Pittsburgh didn’t just give up a promising pitcher; they gave up on the kind of developmental payoff that small-market clubs must maximize to compete. It’s not just about losing Priester, it’s about getting too little in return for a player who now looks like a legitimate rotation staple in the NL Central.