When the Pittsburgh Pirates landed the 1st overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, it gave the team a clear pathway to land a potential superstar player. The team picked Paul Skenes over his LSU teammate Dylan Crews giving the team a potential ace to build around. When Skenes was called up he exceeded all expectations as a rookie quickly asserting himself as one of the best pitchers in the MLB.
Instead of using the momentum to start building around their young star, the Pirates did what the Pirates have done year over year in free agency. The team signed just 6 veteran free agents totaling $19.95 million once again refusing to commit to any potential cornerstone pieces. The team also decided not to sign a multi-year deal a trend that has dated back to 2016 when the team signed Ivan Nova which is the longest time without signing a multi-year deal in baseball.
December of 2016 was the last time the #Pirates signed a free agent, to a multi-year deal (Ivan Nova). Let me repeat that again - December of 2016. How doesn’t MLB look into this? For a team to go that long, with a multi-year commitment, is complete lunacy.
— Jason Shetler (@Jason_Shetler) February 7, 2025
The lack of urgency with a young star comes to the forefront on days like Sunday, when Paul Skenes dominates on the mound. The Pirates ace pitched 8 innings allowing just 1 run on 3 hits and a walk while striking out 9. The issue is that Skenes' first career complete game comes in a losing effort as the Pirates were shutout by a pitcher making his MLB Debut.
This outing was just another example of Paul Skenes dominating yet, the team around him costing him the game. This season, Skenes has only allowed 17 earned runs in 10 starts yet, the team is 3-7 in his 10 starts which is inexcusable. On the season, Skenes has a 2.44 ERA which ranks 15th in baseball yet, all he has to show for it is a 3-5 record.
Knowing the history of the franchise, the internet has already started to suggest that the team should just move on from Skenes now as the Pirates would get a haul and it would free Skenes from the disaster that is Pittsburgh.
Would the Pirates ACTUALLY trade Paul Skenes? pic.twitter.com/1VnHO001Ss
— Chris Rose Sports (@ChrisRoseSports) May 15, 2025
At this point, the Pirates should either prove they're willing to become big spenders with Skenes or send him to a team that is serious about building a winning roster. The Pirates have one of the best pitchers in the sport at such a young age and it's a disservice to waste what could be some of Paul Skenes best seasons on a team that isn't willing to make a push for the postseason.