Yankees reportedly don't want to wait to land Pirates' Paul Skenes

A report from this past November claimed that current Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes "wants to play for" the New York Yankees, in part because he has "no confidence the Pirates ever are going to win" during his time with the organization. 

Skenes is under team control through 2029, but it sounds like the Yankees don't want to wait that long to possibly acquire his services. 

When the Yankees reportedly made a move to land Paul Skenes

On Thursday night, Jon Heyman of the New York Post (h/t MLB) revealed that the Yankees "tried for Skenes" ahead of last season's trade deadline. 

"The Pirates have no intention to trade Skenes," Heyman explained. However, the story also mentioned that the Bronx Bombers "likely would go after the Pirates ace again if an opening comes about." 

The Yankees allegedly were prepared to offer four top prospects to Pittsburgh for Skenes. Potential future ace Cam Schlittler, infielder George Lombard Jr., outfielder Spencer Jones and right-hander Carlos Lagrange are among some of the recognizable names that could have been added to a Skenes-related trade package. 

Why Yankees aren't giving up on Paul Skenes dream

Following the release of the November report, Skenes insisted that his "goal is to win with the Pirates" and that he wants "to be a part of the group" that turns the franchise into a winner. That said, the Yankees seem confident that the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner could want to relocate to New York City, where his girlfriend, former gymnast and social-media superstar Livvy Dunne, resides. 

Most reporters and analysts expect the Pirates will never come close to matching Skenes' salary demands for a long-term contract. Bryan Mcwilliam of The Score noted that Skenes could eventually sign a deal that carries an average annual salary of $50M.

On Thursday afternoon, Skenes was betrayed by his defense as he failed to get out of the first inning of what became an Opening Day loss at the New York Mets. People within the Yankees clearly hope that experience won't cause Skenes to have second thoughts about one day calling the Big Apple home.