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Through the first 36 starts of his career, Paul Skenes is off to one of the best starts for a pitcher in Major League Baseball history. The No. 1 overall pick took the league by storm in 2024 when the Pittsburgh Pirates called him up into the majors. He went 6-0 after joining Pittsburgh and started in the All-Star Game.
However, rumors are flying around that the Pirates' organization might not be willing to pay him the amount of money that he expects when he becomes extension-eligible after the 2026 season.
Former MLB general manager Jim Bowden worked with The Athletic to put together Skenes deals from teams around the league. The Detroit Tigers' package features names like Max Clark and Bryce Rainer, two of the team's top prospects.
Bowden offered his thoughts on a potential pack from the Detroit Tigers. According to him, Clark could play right away for the Pirates if the deal was made.
Proposed package: OF Max Clark, SS Bryce Rainer, RHP Jaden Hamm, RHP Owen Hall
“This potential Tigers offer would give the Pirates solutions up the middle with two former first-round picks: Clark, a 20-year-old center fielder, and Rainer, a 19-year-old shortstop, both of whom should develop into All-Star caliber players,” Bowden said. “Clark could be promoted to the majors soon with the Pirates moving Oneil Cruz to right field and Reynolds to left field. Rainer is a few years away. And the Pirates would also receive two solid pitching prospects in Hamm, 22, and Hall, 19, who are currently pitching at Double A and Low A, respectively.”
Why the Detroit Tigers should make the trade
Teams around the league would line up to make offers for Skenes to their starting rotations. However, the Tigers could be one of the more opportunistic teams at the deadline. After surprising the league in 2024 and getting to the American League Divisional Series, Detroit is near the top of the AL this season. According to Bowden, the Tigers should jump at the opportunity to pair two perennial Cy Young starters together.
“For Detroit, just imagine a rotation headed by Tarik Skubal and Skenes — the double SKs,” Bowden said. “The Tigers could roll out those two aces, followed by Jackson Jobe, Casey Mize, Reese Olson and Jack Flaherty. That rotation would make them the American League favorites this October.”
Even without Skenes, Detroit's pitching staff is one of the best in the league. They lead the league in wins and are in the top five in ERA before Tuesday's games. Skubal is enjoying another dominant season, leading the race for this year's AL Cy Young award. With Skenes pitching behind him in A.J. Hinch's rotation, Detroit would have two bona-fide superstars to lead them through the postseason.
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Clark and Rainer are the Tigers' first and third-ranked prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. Owen Hall and Jaden Hamm are the organization's top pitchers in their prospect system. Trading all of them away sets Detroit back when it comes to developing talent. However, the team's success is led by young stars, making prospects less important than players on the major league roster.
Tigers Trade Grade: A+
Why the Pittsburgh Pirates should make the trade
The Pirates are one of the more disappointing teams in the league this season. Their drop-off is not as bad as the Baltimore Orioles, but Pittsburgh also fired their manager early in the season. Their underwhelming start to the season is more because of their offense than their pitching, though. However, Skenes is doing all he can to lead the team back to relevancy.
Despite the fact that Skenes' record is already worse than last year, his value is still astronomical. The extension coming his way is likely to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Similar to the deals that Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto signed, whatever team gives Skenes his next contract will want to keep him with their team for as long as possible.
Pittsburgh is more than 15 games away from the division-leading Chicago Cubs in the National League Central. Any hopes that they had of winning their division is gone, and a wild card berth is extremely unlikely. Detroit's package offers the Pirates players that could contribute on the mound and at the plate if given more opportunity.
The Tigers' don't have many open spots on their major league roster, but their prospects are all doing well in the minors. However, Pittsburgh needs to make sure that Clark and the rest will grow into solid players before making the deal. Regardless of what they get in return, fans will be upset if the Pirates trade Skenes. Detroit's package is not bad, but risks need to be taken in order for the team to kickstart their rebuild.
