Paul Skenes Clears Up Rumors About His Future with the Pirates
Paul Skenes, recognized with the prestigious National League Cy Young award, found himself having to address rumors about his possible departure from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Although Skenes is still under team control for the rest of the decade, he had to deny reports indicating his desire to be traded, with a particular interest in joining the New York Yankees.Skenes claimed to have seen the report, where an anonymous Pirates player mentioned that the star “expects a change” before becoming a free agent in 2029, but downplayed the situation. “The way fans view us outside of Pittsburgh is that we’re not expected to win,” Skenes added. “There are 29 fan bases that expect us to lose. I want to be part of the 26 that change that.” The Pirates’ general manager, Ben Cherington, also rejected the idea of Skenes leaving Pittsburgh. Cherington indicated that he receives regular inquiries about Skenes’ availability, but the conversations are brief.“I don’t know where that came from,” Skenes told reporters Wednesday night. “The goal is to win, and the goal is to win in Pittsburgh.”
Paul Skenes
The Pirates finished last in the National League Central Division in 2025, 26 games behind first place, the Milwaukee Brewers. Skenes, the first pitcher since Dwight Gooden with the New York Mets in the 1980s to win the Rookie of the Year and Cy Young awards in consecutive seasons, remains optimistic about Pittsburgh’s chances and their goal of winning multiple World Series titles with the Pirates. Selected in the first position by the Pirates in the 2023 amateur draft, Skenes led the majors in effectiveness (1.97) and struck out 216 batters in 187⅔ innings during his first full season in the Major Leagues. Despite his outstanding performance, Skenes needed help from Pittsburgh’s offense to avoid becoming the first Cy Young-winning starting pitcher with a losing record. Skenes won three of his last four decisions to finish with a 10-10 record, which did not prevent him from being unanimously elected for the Cy Young. Although disappointed not to be in the running, Skenes considered the end of the season to be “a blessing” in certain aspects. “It allowed me to try new things in August and September that I wouldn’t have been able to attempt if we were playing for the playoffs,” he commented.“The question gets asked, and it’s always respectful,” Cherington said at the MLB general managers’ meetings. “Teams have to ask. I suspect that won’t end. But the answer has been consistent.”
Ben Cherington
