Paul Skenes Untouchable Despite Pirates’ Struggles \ TezzBuzz \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Amid a disappointing season and front office upheaval, the Pittsburgh Pirates have firmly ruled out trading star pitcher Paul Skenes. General Manager Ben Cherington reaffirmed Skenes’ role in the team’s long-term plans. Despite strong pitching, Pittsburgh continues to struggle offensively, ranking near the bottom in key categories.
The Pittsburgh Pirates find themselves in a familiar, frustrating position—near the bottom of the National League standings with little offensive production, fan dissatisfaction, and a managerial change already behind them. Yet amid the turmoil, one name remains off-limits in trade talks: Paul scenes.
General Manager Ben Cherington made that clear Thursday when asked if the team would consider trading the 23-year-old ace, who won the National League Rookie of the Year just last season.
The Pirates are currently entrenched in last place, entering a series against the Milwaukee Brewers a staggering 11 games out of playoff contention. Their offense has sputtered to historic levels: last or next-to-last in nearly every key offensive stat, including runs, OPS, slugging percentage, home runs, and batting average. Most alarmingly, Pittsburgh has scored four or fewer runs in 26 consecutive gamestying a major league record held by just four other teams, the most recent being the California Angels in 1969.
It’s a sharp contrast to the optimism voiced in spring training by Cherington, Skenes, and then-manager Derek Shelton—who was fired just two weeks ago and replaced by Don Kelly. The goal had been to build on consecutive 76-86 seasons and push toward playoff relevance. Instead, the club has backslid from the opening pitch of the season—even when their pitching has performed admirably.
Stagein particular, has lived up to his billing. In his latest outinga 1-0 loss to the Phillieshe tossed a complete game, surrendering only three hits. The team’s record in his starts is a disappointing 3-5, not because of poor pitching, but due to an anemic offense that can’t seem to capitalize on quality starts.
Under team control through the decade and not arbitration-eligible until after the 2026 season, Skenes represents both performance and value—making him one of the most coveted arms in the league. His loyalty to the organization and his immense upside have solidified him as the cornerstone of whatever direction the franchise chooses to take.
The Pirates have extended players like Bryan Reynolds and Ke’Bryan Hayesbut those contracts are modest by MLB standards and pale in comparison to what Skenes may command in the future. Yet Cherington has made it clear: Skenes is the futurenot trade bait.
Even with a bottom-tier payroll of $88 million—fifth-lowest in baseball—the Pirates have managed to develop a strong starting rotation. Alongside Skenes (2.44 ERA), pitchers Mitch Keller (3.88), Andrew Heaney (2.91)and Bailey Falter (3.50) have kept the team competitive from the mound. But their combined 11-21 record reflects the lineup’s inability to support them with runs.
The offense has been mostly silent beyond a few key names: Reynolds, aging franchise icon Andrew McCutchenand center fielder Oneil Cruz. The rest of the lineup has failed to meet expectations. Catcher Henry Davisthe 2021 No. 1 overall pickremains inconsistent nearly two years into his MLB career. Second baseman Nick Gonzalesa first-round pick in 2020, is recovering from an injury and still searching for a consistent role. Meanwhile, top prospects like Terarr Johnson (2022) and Konnor Griffin (2024) are years away from contributing.
There’s no shortage of pitching talent in the pipeline, with names like Bubba Chandler and Mike Burrowsthe latter set to make his MLB debut after posting a 2.71 ERA in Triple-A. But the position-player development system appears thin, an ongoing concern now over five years into Cherington’s tenure.
Despite the dismal stats and public pressure, Cherington insists that the team can improve over the remaining 110 gamesand that any rebound effort will include Skenes leading the charge.
The club’s immediate focus, however, is clear: reignite the offense, develop homegrown talentand lean heavily on the arms that have kept games within reach. Trading Paul Skenes is off the table—but much else may be up for debate as the Pirates continue a soul-searching season.
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