I may have been born at night, but not last night. Technically, I was born at happy hour on a Monday because the first day of the work week can get so soul-crushing at times. It is why a couple of suds with a couple of buds can do the trick. Cheers! Anywho, I see what the Pittsburgh Pirates are trying to do to quell their fanbase's growing pleas of, "Please, for the love of God, do not trade Paul Skenes!"
Skenes is about a third of the way through the second year of his MLB career. The former standout pitcher for LSU was the first pick of the Buccos for a reason. Have you seen how that ball comes out of his right hand?! He may be a power pitcher right now, but he could develop into something we may not have seen since peak Roger Clemens. This is why I would do everything in my power to keep him.
According to Jon Heyman of The New York Post, Skenes is nowhere close to being traded. His Pirates source said it as much: "No chance, no way, no how." Well, we all know who owns the Pirates and what Bob Nutting is about. He may have begun to open up his pocketbook just a bit, but even then it still feels like he is using the Pirates as his cash cow, rather than investing into the franchise as he should.
The Pirates have a bad reputation for moving on from their stars well before they even hit their prime.
Investing heavily in a pitcher is easier said than done, but Skenes is the mega-talent worth doing it for.
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Pittsburgh Pirates want us all to think they will never trade Paul Skenes
For my money, we need to see things unfold first. Having a great pitcher is one way to shorten a rebuild. Being able to mow down opposing hitters every fifth day can break up lengthy losing streaks, as well as inspire one's teammates to play better. Having a marketable guy like Skenes could be a way to potentially attract other high-end performers in MLB free agency, you would think.
Then again, for as good of a sales job as someone like Skenes could do on playing in Pittsburgh inside of this picturesque ballpark, they still have to play for a team owned by Nutting. The biggest differentiating factor between organizations that are dysfunctional and those that are not is bad to questionable ownership. You can only go so far when the one writing the checks is a hindrance.
In the end, I do not expect for the Pirates to trade Skenes any time soon. However, I do venture to guess that extending him could be challenging, next to impossible if he is allowed to hit the open market. Again, we still need to see him round into form as a professional, but the upside he possesses speaks for itself. Pittsburgh has a tremendous asset, but it would be a shame if it was wasted.
Third parties obviously want it to work out between Pittsburgh and Skenes, but it is wishful thinking.