Yankees Get Bad News on Potential Paul Skenes Trade

There are some teams around Major League Baseball that don’t have it fair. For the Pittsburgh Pirates, a fan base desperate for success, it has to be sickening to hear some of the rumors they have over the past few weeks.

National media members are suggesting that the team could trade Paul Skenes, and of course, if it happens, they should expect a generational return. The New York Yankees, perhaps more than any team in baseball, would be the perfect landing spot for him. 

If Skenes gets moved out of Pittsburgh, the Yankees would make plenty of sense. They understand what it takes to have star talent on their roster and have proven they’re willing to pay players when the time comes. 

Could the Pirates Lose Another Star to a Big Market Team?

Speaking recently, Jeff Passan of ESPN said that the Pirates deserve better, but there could be a scenario where the Pirates don’t think he’ll extend with the team, which reportedly the team isn’t interested in doing right now, which could lead to a potential trade. 

“It’s not just Paul Skenes who deserves better,” Passan said. “It’s Pittsburgh Pirates fans who deserve better, and they deserve a system that allows teams to keep great players. Now, in some cases, guys will stay with small market teams; we’ve seen that … But what incentive does Paul Skenes have to extend with the Pirates when the Pirates haven’t shown the willingness – from Bob Nutting all the way down – or the ability to bring in guys who are going to make this team better? The Pirates haven’t shown that they are worthy of a Paul Skenes extension at this point.”

Could the Yankees Make the Trade Work?

While the New York Yankees would love to add the flame-throwing right-hander, it isn’t very realistic. The Yankees don’t have the farm system to add him, and with limited big league talent that they want to trade, there isn’t much of a reason to believe they have any shot of adding the 22-year-old. 

To some, that’s because of what they moved in the deal for Juan Soto. 

“In a vacuum, Skenes would never leave Pittsburgh. He’s cheap, young, dominant, and controllable until 2030 — everything a small-market club claims to want. But here’s the catch: the Pirates have never been in the business of keeping stars. They flip high-end talent before it gets expensive, reload with youth, and repeat the cycle… When the Yankees traded for Juan Soto, they emptied the cupboard — and rightly so. But now, when a talent like Skenes could become available, they no longer have the ammo,” Alexander Wilson of Empire Sports Media wrote.

“If they’d held onto those assets, perhaps they could’ve made a push here — or even landed Kyle Tucker from Houston, who’s now with the Cubs.”

Despite how unlikely it might be for a potential trade for Skenes, it’s fun to think about what the New York Yankees could have on their hands if they somehow landed him. The LSU product has posted a 2.44 ERA during the 2025 campaign, striking out 62 hitters in 62.2 innings. 

His ability to go deep into games has been impressive since his college days, showing that he can pitch in October if the Pittsburgh Pirates ever get there.

For now, these are all rumors, and there shouldn’t be much to consider. However, if things don’t turn around quickly for the Pirates, these rumors will turn into a reality.

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