11-year-old collector turns down Pirates' offer for one-of-a-kind Paul Skenes card

The card in question is a one-of-a-kind autographed card from the 2024 Topps Chrome Update set, and it features a patch from Skenes' jersey from his major league debut.

Given the immediate impact of Skenes, as well as the fact the card is a one-of-one item, there was a huge interest from the baseball card community in finding it. It is possible that it could sell for seven figures when it goes to auction. 

Before the card was pulled, the Pirates had put together an extensive trade offer for the card that included two season tickets behind home plate at PNC Park for the next 30 years, a softball game at the stadium for 30 people with coaching from former Pirates and a spring training experience that included a private tour of the team's spring training facility, two autographed Skenes jerseys, the opportunity to take batting practice with the team and other added perks. 

For somebody who is not a Pirates fan, that offer does not really move the needle as much as a potential million-dollar payout.

It might not move the needle much for a Pirates fan, either. 

Skenes' girlfriend, LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne, also made her own trade offer for the card and invited the person who pulled it to watch a Pirates game with her in her private suite at PNC Park.

That also was not enough. 

Along with the news that the Pirates' trade offer was declined, Topps released a journal entry from the collector that explained how they got the box of cards that included the card, as well as how they felt in pulling it.

In Skenes' rookie season, less than one year after he was picked with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 class, he started the All-Star Game for the National League, won the National League Rookie of the Year Award, finished third in the National League Cy Young Award voting and has already become — arguably — one of the two or three best starting pitchers in baseball. 

He also dazzled fans by consistently topping 100 mph with his fastball. Along with the individual awards and staggering velocity and pitch movement, he also posted a 1.96 ERA and struck out 170 hitters in only 133 innings. That is 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings.