There’s an expectation among baseball fans and media members that Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes will inevitably join the Los Angeles Dodgers within the coming years.
For now, Skenes remains in the Steel City, though Dodgers manager Dave Roberts will nonetheless get a look up close during Tuesday’s All-Star Game. Roberts confirmed on Sunday that Skenes, the odds-on NL Cy Young favorite, would start against the American League; Skenes also started last year’s game, walking one in a scoreless first inning.
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Dave Roberts admires Paul Skenes, NL All-Star Game starter
The Pirates’ official X/Twitter account posted the video of Skenes’ conversation with Roberts, who called it an “honor” to put Skenes’ name in the NL’s starting lineup.
“I think for me, from the other side,” Roberts told Skenes, “watching you compete, perform, and be one of the faces of Major League Baseball, I just sit back in admiration.”
The 23-year-old Skenes entered the All-Star Break leading NL pitchers in bWAR (4.8) and ERA (2.01). Although he’s only 4-8, Skenes owns a 131-30 K-BB ratio for the last-place Pirates and has no signs of slowing down in his first complete big-league campaign.
The call to National League Starting Pitcher, Paul Skenes 🥲 pic.twitter.com/s38F41vV4o
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) July 12, 2025
“One inning of domination and I know the fans can’t wait,” Roberts added. “It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
When could the Los Angeles Dodgers acquire Paul Skenes?
It’s your call whether or not you believe it’s “if” or “when” the Dodgers will bring Skenes to Los Angeles. He’s under team control through the 2029 season, and the Pirates have insisted they have no plans of trading Skenes anytime soon.
ESPN recently pitched a six-player trade that would send Skenes to the Dodgers in exchange for five prospects: catcher/outfielder Dalton Rushing, outfielder Josue De Paula, infielder Alex Freeland, and pitchers Emmet Sheehan and Jackson Ferris. However, there have been no credible reports that any Skenes move is imminent ahead of the July 31 deadline.
Skenes, who doesn’t turn 24 until next May, also has not publicly asked for a trade. It is unclear if the Pirates would grant such a request, especially with barely two weeks left before the July 31 deadline.
But if the Pirates did make Skenes available, then the Dodgers absolutely make sense. Roberts desperately needs another impact arm in his injury-ravaged rotation, even more so with Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw’s limited workloads.
The Dodgers already have two titles this decade. Skenes could be the final key to a third championship and the Dodgers officially becoming baseball’s next dynasty.