Each MLB team’s most important offseason decision

Pittsburgh Pirates - How do you build around Paul Skenes?

The Pittsburgh Pirates every so often get this really good player that gets the attention of the rest of baseball, but this time it feels different. Players like Bryan Reynolds, Josh Harrison, and Chris Archer were good Pirates players, but this is different. Even looking back to when this team had Gerrit Cole, Andrew McCutchen, and A.J. Burnett all on the same team, this still feels different. Paul Skenes could become the best pitcher in baseball, and he started that journey this year. 

Skenes finished the season with an 11-3 record for a team that went 76-86. He had an ERA under 2.00 and a WHIP under 1.00. He’s already one of the best players in baseball, and he’s 22 years old. He’s also bringing one of the biggest social media stars in Livvy Dunne to the Steel City. 

We haven’t seen a rookie who was this good since Jose Fernandez. Now, the Pirates need to figure out what the path forward looks like. Do they continue what feels like a forever rebuild, or do they put out a competitive baseball team on the nights Skenes doesn’t pitch. They do have another electric prospect in Bubba Chandler who’s likely going to be on this roster next season. 

So that’s two players to get excited about. Add in Reynolds and McCutchen, and that’s four. There’s not much else here. Their rotation was poor and the lineup had its issues with consistency. If the Pirates want to make a move while Skenes is still cheap, they have to jump on some free agents.