The Pittsburgh Pirates have no idea how much longer they will have one of the best pitchers in MLB. Paul Skenes has spent his short career with a team that doesn’t play to win, and this could eventually exhaust his patience. The big question is whether the Pirates will lose theirs first.
The organization has made efforts to try to provide Skenes with a more competitive team, earning an A- grade from Jim Bowden of The Athletic for their moves this offseason. However, a much larger question looms over the Pirates.
“If the Pirates are not in the postseason race at the trade deadline, will they reconsider their stance on trading Paul Skenes (who will have three and a half years of control remaining)?” Bowden wrote.
A Paul Skenes departure?
Anything can happen, but the team’s general manager, Ben Cherington, has insisted that they have no intention of trading their Cy Young-winning pitcher-a stance that will likely remain firm.
The outlook is not very encouraging for Pittsburgh, knowing that Skenes currently earns around $1 million, and he will have three years of arbitration ahead where he will negotiate his salary.
The way the Pirates could avoid those arbitration battles is by offering a large long-term contract, but the reality is that this looks complicated-especially since Paul Skenes’ intention is to play for a team that gives him a realistic chance to win a World Series.
A situation similar to that of Tarik Skubal awaits the young pitcher who is projected to continue shining in MLB: exhaust the years he has remaining with the Pirates, then pursue one of the most lucrative contracts in league history-leaving everyone wondering where he will ultimately end up playing.
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