The Pittsburgh Pirates are a walking disaster. Paul Skenes has been let down by the entire organization, but he is not the only one. The Pirates will more than likely be sellers at this season's trade deadline. Skenes will not be on the trade block, as he is under contract for quite some time. Neither will any meaningful Pittsburgh stars who could have a say in their future, which is a problem while Bob Nutting is in charge of all things spending.
On Sunday, Pirates star Oneil Cruz hit a missile into the Allegheny River. It's far from the first time Cruz has achieved such a feat, but it does point to an overwhelming problem with the current Pirates – Pittsburgh's roster has plenty of individual star talent that, if given the chance, would thrive for a contender – but they do not plan to trade any of those players. It's hard to blame them, especially while those same players are affordable assets that put butts in seats.
Cruz made history on Sunday, per Jeff Passan's above tweet. It won't be the last time he does so in a Pirates uniform. He's an electric talent who likely won't reach his full potential in Pittsburgh through no fault of his own.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.
Pirates aren't just wasting Paul Skenes talent
Much of this chatter comes just weeks after the Pirates fired manager Derek Shelton. While that was no doubt the right move, it was also only the tip of the iceberg. Skenes, in just his first full season as the Pirates ace, has received little run support in his starts. He's an NL Cy Young candidate in spite of the Pirates lineup. While Cruz won't receive that sort of recognition, his issues in Pittsburgh are just beginning. The Pirates have already switched his position from shortstop to center field – which Cruz did without complaint – and they've moved him around the lineup far too much for comfort.
The sad truth is, Skenes, Cruz and every other Pirates star is working on borrowed time. Until ownership and thus the front office are given the resources to turn this ship around, Pittsburgh is stuck in baseball purgatory. Eventually, Bob Nutting has to take responsibility for his actions rather than simply saying the right things to the media.
If not, Cruz will be a memory accompanied by zero postseason success in a few years' time.