Paul Skenes Reportedly Wants To Play For The New York Yankees
Paul Skenes has put up ridiculous numbers in two seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, winning his second CY Young tonight. The Pirates are known for being extremely cheap and aren’t close to winning a title anytime soon. That being said, will Pittsburgh entertain offers for its elite ace?
Skenes Wants To Be a Yankee
According to Randy Miller of NJ.com, Paul Skenes had told his teammates that he wants to play for the New York Yankees.
Skenes becomes a free agent in 2029 and will be a cheap and controllable option for the next three seasons. Even if Skenes has made his desire to be traded known, I highly doubt the Pirates front office would ever come close to dealing him this offseason. Skenes brings in a ton of revenue by himself, and for a team that spends little to no money, he’s an absolute gold mine.
A potential trade, if any, would most likely happen in the 2028 offseason, right before he hits the open market. But why not have some fun and break down a trade between the Yankees and Pirates for Skenes?
The Yankees Would Trade Everyone
The headline is quite literally what would happen. The Yankees would trade every top prospect in their system, along with their young talent on the current roster. Names like Jasson Domínguez, Spencer Jones, George Lombard Jr., Luis Gil, Cam Schlittler, Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, and Carlos Lagrange would all be in play. No player should be viewed as untouchable for Skenes because there is no other pitcher with his talent, and there never will be.
He is a sure-fire pick to win the CY Young almost every year, and is getting paid little to nothing for the incredible performances he’ll give when he takes the mound. The Yankees have to play against a ton of elite pitchers in the American League, and getting Skenes would set them up in a great spot come playoff time.
Garrett Crochet and Tarik Skubal were outstanding in the postseason, and pitching was something the Yankees lacked; it was heavily exposed in the ALDS against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Brian Cashman has spoken publicly before about his interest in the Pirates ace, so I’m expecting him to make more calls to Pittsburgh this offseason. Even if they don’t trade for him now, they’ll make a big run at Skenes when he hits the open market in a few years. Big market teams will all be competing for his services, as he’s on track to shatter records with the largest pitching contract in MLB history.
