Pirates do not want to exchange Paul Skenes, but they should weigh these 5 prospect packages

Pittsburgh pirates do not intend to exchange Paul Skenes. This is what they say publicly through the director general Ben Cherington, and what they clearly do for other teams behind the scenes. But that does not mean that they will not listen to requests and will not make reasonable diligence in case they are overwhelmed by a changing franchise offer.

Skenes, 22, is said to be the most precious commercial asset for decades because he has more than four years of control of the team and is the most difficult player to acquire in major leagues: a real ace, the face of the franchise and the fans’ favorite.

As if that were not enough, Skenes wins $ 740,000 this year, will not be eligible for arbitration in 2027 and even in arbitration, there will probably remain a huge negotiation compared to its value. It is therefore an affordable ace.

The pirates have the second record of the National League (20-36), ahead of only the historically bad Rockies of Colorado. They are already 14.5 games from first place in the central NL and 11.5 games at the back of the last point of Joker. They are about to lose more than 100 games this season. They will find it difficult to dominate the 76 victories they have collected in each of the last two seasons and are probably heading for a seventh consecutive loss campaign.

However, the Pirates plan for the moment is to play better under the new Manager Don Kelly and build a stronger daily range. This would allow them to take advantage of a young starting rotation that has the potential to be a regular season force and in playoffs in a few years, if their beginners remain healthy. The pirate strikers are classifying last in the majors this season at points scored and 29th in ops.

Meanwhile, Skenes has an MPM of 2.10 during its first 34 departures in the majors, including a brand from 2.36 to 11 outings this season.

Under the owner Bob Nutting, the pirates know that they never bind $ 350 million to $ 400 million that would take Skenes from reaching the free agency. (The signing of Pittsburgh franchise records was an eight -year contract of $ 106.75 million for the Bryan Reynolds outflow in 2023; the signing of the club free agent of the club was an agreement of $ 39 million over three years at the Gaucher Francisco Liriano in 2015.)

And although the pirates have the opportunity to exchange Skenes at any time by the 2029 commercial deadline, they also know that the expectation involves the risk of future shoulder or elbow injuries. Its commercial value will never be higher than it is currently, at least in theory.

The problem for pirates – Well, one of their problems – is that they do not have many valuable commercial fleas at the level of the major or minor league, they do not have a flow of better hopes pending in the wings to help the club of large league so early and they have established that they do not want to spend important money in free agency.

Therefore, how do they expect to improve enough to face? Maybe trading Skenes is not as eccentric as you think.

Consider the types of commercial offers it would take for pirates to take a look. Here are five teams with young talents to organize a package and potential offers they could make for reigning the reigning year.

Now, I understand that fans of these five teams can say that it is far too much talent to exchange a single player. I receive this feeling. But it’s Paul Skenes, an ace changing franchise with four years of team control after this season.

In 2022, Juan Soto had stayed two and a half years of team control when he titled an exchange of superproductions between the Nationals of San Diego Padres and Washington who brought back the voltiseur, the Ouder Robert Hassell III and the Skan from left to right than Soto, with the first Baseman Luke – and Skenes is more valid, with Soto with Soto with Soto VOICE – And Skenes is more valid, with Soto with Soto with Soto with Soto Luke Toa was at this stage based on the control of his team and his potential impact for a rivaled team.

To land the Skenes in a trade, it would participate in an uncomfortable quantity of young talents, and beyond, may perhaps require an overpayer for the pirates to even consider it.

Here are five theoretical agreements which could at least serve as a starting point if Pittsburgh was willing to treat its AS.

1. Cubs de Chicago

Proposed package: Rhp Cade Horton, 3b Matt Shaw, from Kevin Alcántara, SS Juan Tomas

The pirates would ancient Horton, the best hope of pitching cubs, which could immediately enter their rotation, and he came with an additional year of control than with Skenes. Shaw could be moved to the second goal. Alcántara could be promoted to the majors to play in the left field, and it would be an instant upgrade in the pirate range. Tomas, 17, is a solid perspective that could become their long-term solution at the COURT stop. Meanwhile, Skenes would make cubs from first place a real threat from October.

2. Dodgers of Los Angeles

Proposed package: C Dalton Rushing, from Andy Pages, LHP Jackson Ferris, Rhp Landon Knack

Dodgers could offer hackers a long -term response at Catcher (Rushing) and a solution for the left field (pages), improving their range for this season and the years to come. Ferris, 21, is not yet ready for majors, but has the thing to become a high -end starter if his order and control improve. The talent would immediately slip into the rotation of the pirates, effectively replacing the Skenes. On the other side of the profession, the rotation of the eliminatory series of Dodgers, in good health, could be Skenes, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Shohei Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow. Yikes!

3. Boston Red Sox

Proposed package: DE Roman Anthony, 2B / SS Franklin Arias, 1b / Justin Gonzales, RHP Luis Perales

To start the package, the Red Sox could offer Anthony, the first prospect of the position player in baseball, that the pirates could immediately promote the majors, giving him a chance to win the recruit of the year of the NL this season. They would also improve their future in the longer term by acquiring a midfielder in the Arias, a bat power in Gonzales and a power arm in Perals. Meanwhile, for Boston, a rotation led by Skenes and Garrett Crochet would change the situation.

4. Detroit Tigers

Proposed package: From Max Clark, SS Bryce Rainer, Rhp Jaden Hamm, Rhp Owen Hall

This potential offer of tigers would offer hackers in the middle with two old first round choices: Clark, a 20-year-old central field player, and Rainer, a 19-year-old stopst stop, which should turn into all-star caliber players. Clark could soon be promoted to the majors with the hackers moving Oneil Cruz on the right field and Reynolds at the left field. Rainer is in a few years. And the pirates would also receive two solid prospects for Hamm, 22, and Hall, 19, who are currently launching Double A and Low A, respectively.

For Detroit, simply imagine a rotation led by Tarik Skubal and Skenes – Double Sks. Tigers could deploy these two aces, followed by Jackson Jobe, Casey Mize, Reese Olson and Jack Flaherty. This rotation would make them the favorites of the American League in October.

5. New York Mets

Proposed package: De Carson BEGE, 1B Ryan Clifford, SS / DE JETT Williams, RHP BRANDON SPROAT

The dishes could undoubtedly offer their four best prospects for Skenes. SPROAT could effectively replace Skenes in the rotation of pirates immediately, while BEGE, CLIFFORD and Williams would give them a trio of bats that would improve their long-term range. This is the weakest package of the five, but among this group of potential business partners, the dishes are the team that most needs Skenes. He would associate with Kodai Senga to lead a rotation which surprisingly exceeds the majors in the era (2.85) this season.

Again, according to all the indications, the pirates will not exchange Skenes before the deadline of this year. However, never say – as far as baseball professions are concerned, anything can happen. And, as scary as it would be for fans of Pittsburgh, the best way of pirates to respectability is probably to exchange it.

(Illustration: Dan GOLDFARB / Athletics; Photo: Justin K. Images go / getty)