Paul Skenes dominates every time he takes the mound. He strikes out batters, keeps runners off base, and gives the Pittsburgh Pirates everything they could ask for in a starting pitcher. But the numbers tell a frustrating story: the best pitcher in baseball is wasting away on one of the worst teams. While fans chant for ownership to sell the franchise, one question looms over everything – could the Pirates actually trade their ace?
Why Can’t the Pittsburgh Pirates Support Paul Skenes’ Dominant Season?
Skenes is currently the favorite to win the NL Cy Young Award, and few people would argue that he does not deserve it at this point in the 2024-25 season. He leads the league with a 1.83 ERA in 133 innings pitched. He also ranks third with a 0.90 WHIP and has the highest WAR (5.7) of any pitcher in the league.
The downfall is that his record stands at just 6-8 because the Pirates are horrid. They sit at 46-62 and trail the Brewers by 18.5 games in the NL Central. Skenes has taken a loss five times while allowing two or fewer earned runs, a stat that perfectly captures Pittsburgh’s offensive struggles. The team has provided zero run support for their ace, wasting another dominant year from their best player.
Here’s 14 seconds of one of the few “SELL! THE! TEAM!” chants that followed the six runs scored by the White Sox in the sixth inning at PNC Park tonight — Jose Negron pic.twitter.com/kBYxNzkPhw
— DK Pittsburgh Sports (@DKPghSports) July 20, 2025
Owner Bob Nutting has received backlash for years and even heard chants for him to sell the team this season. GM Ben Cherington has already shut down any Skenes trade rumors, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility, given the Pirates’ track record of trading away their best players for prospects. Pittsburgh hasn’t made the playoffs since 2015, when they reached the postseason three consecutive years. They have no chance of making the 2025 playoffs and view themselves as sellers ahead of the trade deadline.
What Would It Take for Pirates To Trade Skenes?
Levi Weaver of The Athletic proposed one possibility for the Pirates to trade away the face of the franchise, though he believes it won’t happen.
“I’m sure a package does hypothetically exist that could pry away the 23-year-old face of the franchise, but we’re talking something along the lines of all six of the Detroit Tigers prospects,” Weaver said in his trade deadline primer. “That would be – if I may be blunt – very dumb. Skenes is a great pitcher, but he is only one pitcher,” Weaver finished.
Skenes remains untouchable, as he should be. If the Pirates want to compete, it starts and ends with Skenes. The hard part for Cherington is working within the budget constraints. The Pirates have the ninth-lowest payroll in the league, and it’s not likely to increase as long as Nutting remains the owner.
Players since 1901 to have 300+ strikeouts and a sub-2.00 ERA through 44 career MLB games:
Paul Skenes
That’s it. pic.twitter.com/p8bR63eI4l
— Greg Harvey (@BetweenTheNums) July 22, 2025
The Pirates are likely to sell at the deadline, but Skenes and Oneil Cruz are likely off the table. Pitchers David Bednar, Dennis Santana, and Mitch Keller are available for the right price. Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Tommy Pham are two position players the team might trade before the July 31 deadline.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see Ke’Bryan Hayes get moved, either. The third baseman has disappointed for the second consecutive season, with an OPS below .600 in each season. The Pirates would love to move his contract due to the lack of production at the plate. He remains one of the best defenders in the game, with a 1.9 DWAR this season, making him a solid option for teams looking for a reliable third baseman.