Currently, the Pittsburgh Pirates have the second-worst record in the MLB, leading to questions as to whether the organization could potentially be sellers at the MLB trade deadline. But it appears as if star pitcher Paul Skenes may be on the untouchable list for the Pirates organization.
Naturally, given the struggles of the Pirates organization, rumors have risen that Skenes could potentially be a player that other teams are calling about in trade talks if the right package comes in that could bolster the Pirates’ farm system for years to come.
However, according to Pirates’ GM Ben Cherington, teams interested in Skenes may as well not even call about the possibility, outlining how any talks about trading Skenes are “not a part of the conversation” in Pittsburgh at the moment.
“No, it’s not at all a part of our conversation,” said Cherington.
Would #Pirates GM Ben Cherington consider trading Paul Skenes this season? pic.twitter.com/ZnAUod3ld0
— 93.7 The Fan (@937theFan) May 22, 2025
It perhaps shouldn’t be all that shocking to see that the Pirates aren’t willing to move off of Skenes, as he has had as great of a start to his MLB career as any pitcher in recent memory.
Still, given the fact that there are quite obviously a number of holes within the Pirates organization, someone like Skenes could undoubtedly be leveraged to go and get a number of high-profile prospects that could help the Pirates for years to come.
Clearly, the Pirates feel as if Skenes is the kind of once-in-a-generation kind of talent that shouldn’t be traded for any reason. So it will be interesting to see whether the Pirates can put a team behind him that will help keep his talent from going to waste on a struggling organization.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.