Pitcher Paul Skenes (30) of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Report reveals Pirates' stance on trading Paul Skenes

By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated Jul 18, 2025 6:00 PM ET

The Pittsburgh Pirates are on pace to miss the playoffs for the 10th consecutive season, and some have wondered if they will consider trading Paul Skenes for a massive haul of prospects. It does not sound like that is going to happen.

With the MLB trade deadline less than two weeks away, the Pirates are certain to receive calls from teams inquiring about Skenes and other players. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported on Friday that at least one rival executive was already told a trade involving Skenes is "not happening."

Team executive who inquired about a trade for Paul Skenes was told: Not happening (no surprise there, but doesn’t hurt to ask)
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 18, 2025

Skenes has been one of very few bright spots for the Pirates over the past two seasons. The team is 39-58 coming out of the All-Star break, and Skenes has a 4-8 record despite his impressive 2.01 ERA.

Since he made his MLB debut last season, Skenes has a 1.98 ERA with 301 strikeouts in 254 innings. The right-hander's dominance has not gotten the Pirates any closer to postseason contention.

Still, the Pirates insist they want to build around Skenes. The 23-year-old is under team control through 2029. The problem is that Pittsburgh consistently ranks near the bottom of the MLB in payroll, and there has been nothing to suggest that will change.

Skenes might wind up wasting his prime with the Pirates, but they seem content to let him do so.

Steve DelVecchio

Steve is a veteran writer who has covered a variety of sports and pop culture topics for more than 15 years. In addition to Yardbarker, his work has been featured on prominent digital publications including Larry Brown Sports, MSN and FOX Sports. The UConn graduate has published more than 40,000 stories and is one of the most experienced trending news writers in the country

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