Sep 10, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes (30) looks on during the first inning against Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Pirates Offseason Silences Paul Skenes Trade Rumors

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI
By Jordon Lawrenz | Last updated Jan 1, 2026 2:00 PM ET

When Paul Skenes came to the Pittsburgh Pirates, the talk was never around how Skenes could be an asset to the team long-term. Instead, many were wondering who he was going to end up with and for how much.

Coming off a Cy Young winning season, Skenes once again proved he's invaluable to this team. Pittsburgh has started ramping up their front office as they begin to make every move imaginable to keep Skenes around.

As part of Bleacher Reports' New Years Resolutions for each team, Zachary D. Rymer spoke about how important it is Pittsburgh begins to win to silence those trade talks.

Even if they make the playoffs, the Pirates still have a mountain to climb if they want to keep Skenes. Rymer mentions that, the fans know it, it's just a matter of if, or when that finally becomes a reality.

Pirates Making Moves At The Right Time

Pirates fans were shocked the team didn't just stop at their three team trade. Pittsburgh has plenty of new players to maneuver this 2026 with including the likes of Ryan O'Hearn, Brandon Lowe, Jake Mangum, among others including pitchers Gregory Soto and Mason Montgomery.

While none of those players match up to the caliber of a guy like Skenes, they don't necessarily need to. It's not like the Pirates made one move and went radio silent, they're continually in the mix for key players, including Japanese sensation Kazuma Okamoto.

If the team wants Skenes to stay, they're going to have to earn it. Who knows where they'll pull that money out of, but that's a bridge to cross when they get there. Step one is building a team around him, and they've done a terrific job of doing that this offseason.

Rymer's Thoughts On The Pirates

"Even two years into his career, the Pirates eventually trading Skenes feels less like an "if" thing and more like a "when" thing. There's no way they'll be able to extend him, and he's due to start getting expensive in 2027," Rymer wrote.

He continued, "Yet even if they can't necessarily keep him long-term, the Bucs can at least hope to get people to stop talking about Skenes as a trade chip. Winning games would go a long way toward doing that, so it's been nice to see them taking that idea seriously with their actions this winter."

In no world is this team perfect, but they're beginning to put a lot of the front office talk behind them. Skenes knows just how talented he is, as does everyone else in the MLB. Keeping him would change the course of this franchise forever, and Pirates fans know saying goodbye isn't something they want to do anytime soon.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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