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Pirates Predicted to Make Trade After Paul Skenes News

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | Last updated May 20, 2025 12:18 AM ET

The Pittsburgh Pirates lost 7-1 to the Cincinnati Reds on Monday, dropping their record to an abysmal 15-33 on the season. This ranks last in the NL Central, and second-to-last in the National League, with only the Colorado Rockies (8-38) owning a worse record.

This poor start for Pittsburgh comes despite having a Cy Young candidate in Paul Skenes. After a his first career complete game on Sunday, which fittingly came in a 1-0 loss, Skenes improved his season ERA to 2.44 in 10 starts. That ranks fifth in the NL among qualified starters, and 0.94 WHIP ranks second only to Philadelphia Phillies star Zach Wheeler.

Last week, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported on the Pat McAfee Show that teams around MLB will be asking about Skenes' trade availability this season (h/t Andrew Fillipponi of 93.7 The Fan). Passan added he does not expect Pittsburgh to move the star right-hander, but noted there is an argument that moving him now could be the smartest course of action if the team believes it has no chance at competing in the near future.

Amid this news, Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report predicted the Pirates will be sellers at this year's deadline, but not with Skenes.

"There may come a day when the Pirates have to entertain the possibility of trading Paul Skenes, but things aren't yet there," he wrote.

As far as who Pittsburgh could trade, Kelly singled out Dennis Santana, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Joey Bart.

"Reliever Dennis Santana could become a popular name this summer for teams looking to improve at closer and/or setup man," he wrote. "... Super-utility man Isiah Kiner-Falefa and catcher Joey Bart are two other players on Pittsburgh's roster who would likely intrigue contenders."

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

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