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3 ‘Godfather’ Trade Offers That Could Send Paul Skenes to a World Series Contender

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Cole Sullivan | Last updated Jul 8, 2025 1:43 PM ET

There’s little question about who the most valuable pitcher in the National League is right now.

Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes is in just his second MLB season and has been dominant and historic every step of the way, posting an astonishing 1.95 ERA across his first 42 career starts.

However, his dominance hasn’t translated into wins for the Pirates, who sit in last place in the NL Central with a 38–54 record and are once again on track to miss the playoffs.

Despite a sparkling 1.94 ERA this season, Skenes holds a 4–7 record—evidence that, as great as he’s been on the mound, Pittsburgh has several glaring holes throughout the roster. While trading Skenes may seem unthinkable, his current value could fetch a massive return and potentially accelerate the team’s rebuild.

On Tuesday, ESPN writer David Schoenfield proposed three massive "Godfather" trade packages that would send Skenes to a legitimate World Series contender.

The first hypothetical trade would ship Skenes to the New York Mets in exchange for top prospects: shortstop/outfielder Jett Williams (No. 20), right-handed pitcher Jonah Tong (No. 50), right-handed pitcher Nolan McLean, infielder Ronny Mauricio, and outfielder Carson Benge.

The second proposal would send him to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for catcher/outfielder Dalton Rushing (No. 14), outfielder Josue De Paula (No. 17), infielder Alex Freeland, right-handed pitcher Emmet Sheehan, and left-handed pitcher Jackson Ferris.

Finally, the third and perhaps most intriguing offer would involve the Detroit Tigers. In this scenario, Skenes would team up with Tarik Skubal in Detroit, while the Pirates would receive outfielder Max Clark (No. 8), shortstop Kevin McGonigle (No. 11), right-handed pitcher Jackson Jobe, infielder Colt Keith, and right-handed pitcher Sawyer Gipson-Long.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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