You know that the Pittsburgh Pirates’ offseason has officially arrived when we’re talking about a potential Paul Skenes trade.
It’s been a bit, hasn’t it? The Pirates remained in NL Wild Card contention throughout the second half, which ordinarily would be enough to halt the annual speculation. But Skenes has looked nothing like his Cy Young self, and he could realistically end the year with an ERA above 4.00. This is the same pitcher who had a 1.96 ERA through his first 320.2 innings and looked unhittable most nights.
In the grand scheme of things, nothing has changed. Skenes hasn’t publicly requested a trade, and the Pirates have insisted they won’t trade the three-time All-Star. Objectively, we imagine he’ll be toeing the mound on Opening Day 2027, whenever that might be.
Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer nonetheless pitched (pun intended) two possible Skenes trades, one involving the Yankees and another featuring Mets. Needless to say, we have plenty of thoughts.
Yankees send Ben Rice, Spencer Jones, and two pitchers to the Pirates for Paul Skenes and Bryan Reynolds
Pirates grade: C+
Yankees grade: C-
Those who spend much of their free time scrolling X/Twitter (hey, we know the feeling all too well) are likely familiar with the meme of Bugs Bunny squinting his eyes and saying “No.” That’s exactly how we felt upon initially seeing this trade offer.
Let’s start with the obvious: the Yankees aren’t trading Rice. At no point did we hear his name floated amid the Tarik Skubal rumors, and his left-handed power makes him a perfect fit for Yankee Stadium’s short porch. He’ll either open next season as the starting first baseman or designated hitter, depending on what Giancarlo Stanton’s future looks like; the 2017 NL MVP has one year left on his deal, and he’s been an injury liability since the start of 2019.
We’re skeptical that Jones would be moved unless the return involves an MVP-caliber outfielder. Trent Grisham is a pending free agent, and we’re genuinely unsure what Jasson Domínguez’s future in New York looks like, especially after his recent demotion to Triple-A. When a team doesn’t want you on the big-league roster ahead of the playoffs, what does that say?
Reynolds has had a fine year, and he entered Sunday leading the league in doubles. But if you’re the Yankees, do you really want to give up Jones and Lagrange for an outfielder who turns 32 in January? Reynolds is under contract through 2030 (with a $20 million team option for 2031), and that’s a significant commitment to someone who, at his best, is a mid-3 bWAR player.
We must also note that Rymer claimed that Rodríguez ranked No. 82 and Lagrange placed No. 100 on MLB Pipeline, which is simply untrue. Shortstop Dax Kilby is the only Yankees player on the most recent MLB Pipeline list, and he placed No. 83. So the Pirates wouldn’t even be landing a top-100 prospect? Hard pass.
That said, we’ll give the Yankees a C- for their return, because an elite Skenes ranks among the game’s best pitchers. But will we see him regain that 2024-25 form? That we’re even asking the question should say enough.
Mets give up Carson Benge and two prospects for Pirates teammates Paul Skenes and Bryan Reynolds
Pirates grade: D
Mets grade: C
At least the proposed Pirates-Yankees trade made some sense. We can’t say the same about Pittsburgh theoretically shipping Skenes and Reynolds to the Mets for Benge, Rojas, and Tong.
First off, why would the Mets only need to give up three players rather than the Yankees’ four? Rymer listed Rojas as the No. 79 prospect and Tong at No. 88, neither of which is accurate; Rojas is No. 73, and MLB Pipeline no longer lists Tong among its top 100 prospects, for reasons we don’t understand. Mariners lefty Kade Anderson has thrown 25.1 big-league innings, and he's still ranked No. 5, but Tong and his 39.2 innings over two seasons no longer qualify. Huh?
Benge has quietly enjoyed a solid rookie season, hitting .276 with 19 home runs, 61 RBIs, 22 steals, and a .760 OPS through his first 149 games. But for him to be the centerpiece of a deal involving both Skenes and Reynolds is absurd. Oh, and Benge turns 24 in January, so he’d be a slightly older second-year starter.
As for the Mets, adding yet another long-term contract isn’t the answer to putting their disastrous 2026 season behind them. As we’ve said before, Bo Bichette would be foolish to exercise his opt-out clause and leave $42 million in guaranteed money on the table. Marcus Semien has two years and $46 million left on his deal, and we’re not even factoring in Francisco Lindor’s contract.
That said, we’ve seen enough positives from Benge thus far to hold off on giving the Pirates’ theoretical return an “F” grade. But both teams should pass on even contemplating such an offer.
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