Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes has taken Major League Baseball by storm since his debut, but according to one of his former teammates, his long-term vision might not include staying in Pittsburgh. Speaking to NJ.com’s Randy Miller, an anonymous player who shared the clubhouse with Skenes during the 2024 and 2025 seasons claimed the 23-year-old star “wants to play for the Yankees.”
“Trust me, he wants to play for the Yankees,” the unnamed teammate said. “I’ve heard him say it multiple times.” The player also suggested that Skenes “has no confidence the Pirates ever are going to win” and is “hoping for a trade” before reaching free agency in 2030.
Skenes, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft out of LSU, has been everything the Pirates could’ve hoped for. He won National League Rookie of the Year in 2024 after going 11–3 with a 1.96 ERA and followed that up by leading the league in ERA (1.97), WHIP (0.95), and strikeouts (216) in 2025. Despite his brilliance, the Pirates finished with another losing record, fueling speculation about Skenes’ frustrations with the organization’s lack of success.
Will the Pirates move Paul Skenes this offseason?
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington addressed the rumors directly this week, dismissing talk of a potential trade or discontent. “I do dismiss it, but I understand it,” Cherington told reporters at the MLB General Managers Meetings. “What we’re going to focus on is just how do we win games with him in a Pirates uniform. I have a ton of respect for the Yankees, but we’ll just focus on what we need to do.”
Cherington doubled down on his stance when asked about Skenes’ future, saying, “He’s going to be a Pirate in 2026.” He emphasized that the team’s focus is on winning, noting that success is the key to keeping a generational talent like Skenes long term.
Skenes is under team control through 2029 and won’t reach arbitration until 2027, giving the Pirates several more years before a major financial decision looms. Still, given Pittsburgh’s historically low payroll — ranking 29th in MLB this year at just over $31 million — it’s hard to imagine them matching the kind of mega-deal Skenes could command elsewhere.
If his dominance continues, the right-hander could be in line for a record-breaking payday once he hits free agency, with estimates already floating near $500 million. Whether that deal comes from the Yankees or another big-market club remains to be seen, but for now, Cherington insists his ace isn’t going anywhere.
