The Pittsburgh Pirates are going nowhere fast, and trade rumors about their ace, Paul Skenes, have started to swirl. MLB insider Ken Rosenthal identified the Boston Red Sox as a team that could actually pay the price to get him.
Rumors around Skenes started when MLB insider Jeff Passan suggested the team should trade him. He cited their failure to contend and the low odds of actually signing him to a long-term deal. However, a trade for Skenes is highly unlikely and would cost more than any team may be willing to pay. MLB insider Jon Heyman revealed that the Pirates are not even considering trading Skenes.
Any trade for Skenes would have to start with multiple top prospects. Not many teams have enough elite prospects or would be willing to move on from them. However, Rosenthal identified the Red Sox as a team that could actually get the Pirates to think about trading the 2024 All-Star.
"The right trade -- say, one that included top Boston Red Sox prospects Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer, among other goodies -- might change the conversation," wrote Rosenthal for The Athletic. "And if Skenes suffers a serious arm injury while still in Pittsburgh, the first thing people will say is that the Pirates should not have waited to move him."
Skenes has four-plus years of club control, and the Pirates are going to do their best to build around him. However, on paper, it looks like it will take them longer to build a contender than they have Skenes for. Certainly, there is an argument to be made to trade him now while his value is extremely high.
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"Skenes is a depreciating asset who will never sign with the Pirates long-term," wrote Rosenthal.
If he gets to free agency, there is next to no chance the Pirates will be able to keep him, meaning they wasted an opportunity to turn him into multiple, potentially elite, players like Anthony and Mayer. Both are top 10 prospects in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline. Not many teams will be able to put together an adequate package, but the Red Sox may be one of the few who could force the Pirates to change their stance and consider making a trade.