A major shift in how MLB franchises are securing young talent is evident in the Boston Red Sox’s new contract for rookie Roman Anthony. Long before he reaches arbitration, the 22-year-old has been handed an 8-year, $130 million deal that may reach $230 million with performance-based incentives. As Anthony has been locked in by Boston, all eyes are now on the Pittsburgh Pirates. Will they follow suit and offer a similar long-term commitment to their own phenom, Paul Skenes?
Skenes is coming off yet another dominant outing, befuddling the Cincinnati Reds in a 7-0 shutout win in the series opener at PNC Park. Very recently, during an appearance on 93.7 The Fan, insider Dan Zangrilli was asked by the co-host Andrew Fillipponi if Pittsburgh had tried to “make some headway” on an extension with Skenes, and Zangrilli confirmed they had.
However, many were skeptical about it. It’s not hard to understand why. The timing of that claim sparked the doubts. It was when the Pirates were right out of a mess in Colorado after their poor moves at the trade deadline. However, now, Tim Benz, a Pittsburgh analyst, has stated that Skenes’ extension chances are brighter than the rumors suggest.
Image: MLB.com
Benz laid out a hypothetical scenario where Skenes gets a multi-million-dollar contract from Bob Nutting, paying him millions more through his pre-arbitration and arbitration years than he would otherwise make, securing his financial future well before he would be eligible for free agency around age 28 or 29. And it also covers what would’ve been his first year or two of free agency. It would last until 2030 or 2031, when Skenes would be around 28 or 29 years old.
This way, Skenes would land on a lot of money earlier than he normally would. He would have a steady rate of pay during the three arbitration years. Plus, it would be incredible to make a solid nine figures before 2030 or 2031. If you think about it, it’s similar to the Mets and Juan Soto’s $765 million contract. It has a player opt-out just after he turns 30.
But would Skenes opt for it if such a scenario came about?
Skenes is in his prime while the Pirates are in a losing season
It’s another lost season for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Bob Nutting is unable to build a competitive roster, and it has triggered the Pittsburgh nation massively.
Skenes is the only bright spot for the Pirates this season. He has just pitched six scoreless innings against the Reds, striking out eight batters to help the Pirates secure a 7-0 win on Thursday. Skenes is now at 7-8 as he makes a strong case to notch the National League Cy Young Award. Thursday’s matchup against the Reds was the fourth time he’s dominated them and the first time in the 2025 season.
And guess what? The Pirates ace has also lowered his major league best ERA to 1.94. In fact, he has not allowed a single earned run since June 3 at PNC Park. This win happens to be the Pirates’ fifth shutout of the 2025 season, where Skenes has started the game.
Clearly, the club cannot risk losing him to another major league team. Time will tell if Nutting will fork over the kind of money required to keep him or not. But, Robert Murray from FanSided doesn’t expect the Pirates to extend Skenes. “Do I expect the Pirates to eventually extend Skenes? No. That’s not a Ben Cherington thing. That falls squarely on Bob Nutting, the team owner who has refused to invest meaningful dollars in the roster,” Murray wrote. Further, he added, “I hope I’m wrong. I so badly want to be proven wrong.”
So, Murray wants the Skenes to receive an extension, but he doesn’t expect Nutting to do so. Well, what’s your stance on this?
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