The Pittsburgh Pirates have done everything possible to bring support to Paul Skenes and deliver a more competitive team to the pitcher widely regarded as one of the most dominant in MLB, and that’s exactly how Spring Training begins-with excitement and all eyes on him.
Skenes’ first day arrived just hours after watching his equally high-profile girlfriend, Livvy Dunne, enjoy the Super Bowl, where she spent the entire week attending festivities around the NFL’s big game.
For the National League Cy Young winner, this was his first official training day, where the Pirates shared footage of his initial throws amid ongoing uncertainty about what they will ultimately do with the most valuable player on their roster.
Can the Pirates trade Paul Skenes?
The franchise’s position remains clear: the Pittsburgh Pirates are not willing to negotiate their star pitcher, which is why they made several moves to show commitment to him and to a city desperate for wins.
At 23 years old, Skenes enters his final year of pre-arbitration, during which the Pirates will pay him a relatively low salary, around $1 million. After that, he will enter three years of arbitration, a process where the team and player submit salary figures to a panel that decides which side is correct-unless an agreement is reached beforehand.
A similar precedent exists with Tarik Skubal, the American League Cy Young winner, who entered a historic MLB arbitration case and earned $32.5 million per season while the Tigers only offered $19.5 million.
In short, while Skenes is preparing for his next season, many questions remain about his contract situation. Meanwhile, Livvy Dunne continues to enjoy herself, though she stays attentive and close to her partner whenever possible.
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