Details of Paul Skenes’ possible contract extension revealed

Recently, the details of Paul Skenes‘ possible contract extension were revealed.

The best pitching prospect of a generation who has become a reality with the Pittsburgh Pirates

Details of Paul Skenes’ possible contract extension revealed

According to Bob Nutting, principal owner and chairman of the board of the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball, “It would be no surprise to see Skenes – the best pitching prospect of a generation – leverage his productivity, age and marketing potential to become the first pitcher in baseball history to reach five hundred million dollars.”

According to Jeff Passan, the MLB insider, he predicted the rising value of Paul Skenes. But the big question is whether Pirates owner Bob Nutting would really pay that much to keep him. If not, would he at least invest in an offense to support Paul Skenes?

According to Cody Duncan, “All it would take is an extra $25 million to build this offense while Paul Skenes is here. It’s amazing that they won’t do it.” The result? The Pirates are finishing this season at the bottom of the National League Central Division in the 2025 Big Show season.

Everyone is talking about Paul Skenes’ future with the Pittsburgh Pirates

Now, everyone is talking about Paul Skenes‘ future with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Jeff Passan offered a harsh reality check for the Bucs’ front office. “That’s all Pirates fans want. They want a reason to go to the ballpark,” Passan said, according to Pat McAfee on X

“They want to feel like the front office cares as much as they do, and right now, that’s just not the case. But this offseason, you can certainly argue that it is. It’s right there for the Pirates to take advantage of, and the eternal question for that organization is, will they?”

“You have to give the fans a reason to go to the ballpark, and that’s all Pirates fans want. They want to feel like management cares as much as they do.”

One of the few positives for the Pirates in recent years

One of the few positives for the Pirates in recent years has been Paul Skenes. At just 23 years of age, he is already showing ace-level numbers with a 1.97 ERA and 216 strikeouts in 187 innings.

Now, the problem in Pittsburgh is not market size, it is ambition. The Pirates entered 2025 with just $85 million, one of the lowest payrolls in the league

So, according to Jeff Passan, the Pirates need to act quickly around Paul Skenes to offer something that will make fans visit PNC Park. And this awareness comes amid Sportrac’s report of a $4.3 million pre-arbitration salary for Skenes in 2026

Paul Skenes’ salary projection

Paul Skenes’ salary is projected to reach $39 million by 2029 once he is eligible for free agency. Paul Skenes is setting new standards for pitchers

Contract extension talks with the Pirates

Earlier this month, Paul Skenes was asked about contract extension talks with the Pirates. His response? A resounding “No.” He explained that he doesn’t want to deal with those conversations during the season and that the team has respected that. In his words: “Yeah, there’s no discussions about that.”

Amid the Pirates’ poor performance, he is the first qualified pitcher aged 23 or younger to finish with an ERA below 2.00 since Dwight Gooden’s Cy Young season in 1985.

Now, that mindset tells you where his focus is. It’s not on contracts or team ownership, but on further improvement. And if he continues to dominate like this, it will become increasingly difficult for the Pirates to keep him. That means fans may need to brace themselves for the possibility that Paul Skenes will follow the same path as Gerrit Cole and Andrew McCutchen, leaving Pittsburgh behind while the franchise remains stagnant.