St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) receives a new ball after giving up a two run double to St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Alec Burleson (not pictured) during the sixth inning at Busch Stadium. Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Pittsburgh Pirates Will Not Trade Superstar Ace Paul Skenes, Per MLB Insider

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Sam Connon | Last updated May 21, 2025 11:27 AM ET

To all the fans, podcasters and pundits cobbling together mock trades for Paul Skenes, it may be time to take a break.

The Pittsburgh Pirates' 22-year-old ace has been arguably the best pitcher in baseball ever since he made his MLB debut last May. But with the Pirates sputtering out to a 16-33 start and firing manager Derek Shelton after refusing to spend big this past winter, many are starting to wonder how he fits into the franchise's present and future.

Per the New York Post's Jon Heyman, Skenes isn't going anywhere any time soon.

"Paul Skenes is not getting traded," Heryman wrote, citing his a source with the Pirates. "'No chance, no way, no how,' is the way I heard it. While there's a bit of logic to such a scenario, superstars just aren't traded by anyone with 1 year service time and the Pirates remain determined to build around Skenes."

Pirates source: Paul Skenes is not getting traded. “No chance, no way, no how,” is the way I heard it. While there’s a bit of logic to such a scenario, superstars just aren’t traded by anyone with 1 year service time and the Pirates remain determined to build around Skenes.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) May 21, 2025

Skenes, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA, 0.947 WHIP, 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings and a 5.9 WAR en route to winning NL Rookie of the Year in 2024. The Pirates got the win in 15 of his 23 starts, taking full advantage of his breakout campaign.

In 2025, Pittsburgh is 3-7 when Skenes takes the mound. It isn't exactly his fault, either, considering the righty boasts a 2.44 ERA, 0.941 WHIP, 8.9 strikeouts per nine innings and a 2.1 WAR through 10 starts.

A Skenes trade could very well come together in the future, but he won't even be arbitration-eligible until 2027. The Pirates have Skenes under team control through the end of the 2029 campaign, so the front office has plenty of time to let the situation play out.

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

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