Let’s be honest, the Pirates are all but out of the 2025 postseason conversation. With a 49-65 record and a dwelling in the basement of the NL Central, their season feels less like a race and more like a slow drift toward the inevitable. So, the writing has been on the wall for weeks, and, truthfully, no one is surprised.
Well, PNC Park still offers its postcard-perfect skyline views. Yes, the crowds remain as hopeful and enthusiastic as ever, willing to endure yet another summer of frustration. And yes, Paul Skenes, every fifth day, gives this team a jolt of electricity that briefly reminds fans of what could be. But strip away the ballpark beauty and the rookie phenom, and the 2025 Pirates are a team without direction. A club waiting for brighter days that never seem to arrive!
Now, with the park staying put and the faithful fans still testing the limits of their patience, the conversation in the Pirates has shifted. It’s about Paul Skenes, the rare beacon in a stormy year. And whether the Pirates can actually keep their young ace in the City for the long haul. Yet, if recent insider reports are to be believed, the Pirates may already be fighting an uphill battle. And guess what, the clock might be ticking faster than they’d like to admit.
“As much as the Pirates may want to keep Skenes in Pittsburgh, assuming they don’t offer him a lifetime contract worth half their weight in gold, he is going to leave,” Pittsburgh insider Mark Powell shared what it means for the Pirates to have Skenes in place!
Jun 5, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) delivers a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Well, the Pirates have historically operated with one of the lowest payrolls in MLB. Notably, their 2025 payroll is around $87 million, ranking near the bottom of the league. And extending Skenes long term would likely require a contract well north of $200 million. A type of investment the franchise has rarely made!
Secondly, Skenes himself has made it clear that winning is his top priority. The Pirates, however, have not demonstrated a strong commitment to surrounding him with a contending roster. Their lack of offensive upgrades and limited activity in trades or free agency sends a signal that the team may not be ready to compete at a high level. So, without a clearer path to winning, Skenes has little reason to commit to Pittsburgh beyond his current control window.
However, that doesn’t mean the Pirates are not contending. “Well, I think that they look at it as a longshot, uphill battle, but that’s not going to deter them from trying,” MLB insider Dan Zangrilli said.
Zangrilli shared that the team has started talking with Skenes about a possible contract extension. He noted that it won’t be an easy deal to get done. But the Pirates are going to keep pushing for it. According to Zangrilli, the Pirates could use the money they freed up by trading third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes to the Reds. Either to help build around Skenes or to put toward that extension.
The Pirates’ recent deadline moves hold a key
For the unversed, the Pirates’ approach to the 2025 trade deadline wasn’t about chasing a playoff spot. But it’s about setting up for 2026.
Notably, in just a week, the team traded away closer David Bednar and Ke’Bryan Hayes. That signals a clear pivot from trying to win now to focusing on the future. For fans, it was a tough pill to swallow. However, for Paul Skenes, though, it was a chance to buy into the long-term plan even more. Recently, in a conversation with Noah Niles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Skenes reflected on this year’s deadline and how it stacked up against last year’s moves.
“At the end of the day, it’s about winning,” Skenes said. “We’re gonna do our best to go out there and do our best to win every game the remainder of the season. What we did last year, I think, they took an approach to set us up for the second half. The last two months of the season last year also set us up for this year with some of the acquisitions we made. But it all comes down to winning.”
So yes, Skenes is still very much with the Pirates. And considering the Pirates have their control over Skenes until 2030, there’s no rush in between. However, the increasing value of Skenes is what could make the deal difficult for the Pirates.
Reportedly, in the last 1 year, Skenes’ value has skyrocketed. Now, in the middle of his first full year in the majors, a 2.02 ERA with 154 SOs in 138 innings has been a bright spot. It gives the Pirates some much-needed stability in an otherwise up-and-down season. But in the long term, it is still uncertain!
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