Apr 25, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) reacts after striking out Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Tommy Edman (25) to end the sixth inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Would a Paul Skenes trade make sense for Mets?

Originally posted on New York Mets on SI | By Grant Young | Last updated May 18, 2025 2:00 PM ET

After 22-year-old Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes faced the New York Mets on May 12, he sent a strong message about the Mets' lineup when speaking with the media.

"They're hitters that, for lack of a better term, when they're bad, they're still good," Skenes said of Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, and Pete Alonso, per SNY.

"All three of those guys are those guys. They're not bad right now, I'm just saying. Over the course of a season, guys are going to slump a little bit. But their slumps aren't slumps," he added. "They kind of take what they can get, and don't try to do too much. And when it goes over the fence, it goes over the fence. That's kind of how I see it with those guys."

"When they're bad, they're still good. All three of those guys are those guys. Over the course of a season, guys are going to slump a little bit. Their slumps aren't slumps."

Paul Skenes credits the Mets' top three batters in Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, and Pete Alonso: pic.twitter.com/lyHOqDzhYH
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) May 13, 2025

Clearly Skenes holds the Mets' superstar hitters in high regard. Skenes' name was also in headlines recently because of comments ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan had during a May 14 episode of The Pat McAfee Show.

"What incentive does Paul Skenes have to extend with the Pirates, when the Pirates haven't shown the willingness... or the ability to bring in guys who are going to make this team better? The Pirates haven't shown that they are worthy of a Paul Skenes extension," Passan said.

He later added, "If [the Pirates] believe that they absolutely have no chance of signing him [in free agency after 2030], then they should trade him. And you can make the argument that they should trade him now... There are teams that are already going to ask about Paul Skenes at the trade deadline this year."

"Paul Skenes and the Pittsburgh Pirates fans deserve better..

What incentive does he have to extend with the Pirates right now..

The Pirates haven't shown that they are worthy of a Paul Skenes extension at this point" ~ @JeffPassan #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/eCkkgMFb7y
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 14, 2025

While Passan didn't mention any specific teams who could be in on Skenes at the trade deadline, it's fascinating to wonder whether the Mets might come calling.

Their starting rotation has started to come back to earth after a stellar start to the year, and if players like Tylor Megill continue to struggle, adding an ace like Skenes via trade would solidify the starting rotation's dominance and cement New York as a World Series contender.

Then again, the Mets have shown that they're more content to develop and trust in their existing pitchers, plus they have several proven MLB starters returning from injury in the coming weeks and months.

In other words, it's highly unlikely that Skenes will be wearing a Mets jersey at any point this season. But Passan's words prove it's not impossible.

This article first appeared on New York Mets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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