The Pirates are facing another losing season, and their weak offensive output is largely responsible for their downfall. Because of the Pirates’ drafting during the Ben Cherington era, the club has plenty of impressive arms in their system and roster, but little offensive help. The team had the chance to supplement the pitching with at least some offensive help.
However, the Pirates didn’t play their cards right. As the deadline expired, one of the club’s elite arms, Paul Skenes, made a blunt comment directed straight at Bob Nutting. “Hopefully, it also created some space for us to acquire some bats in the offseason,” he said. It put real pressure on the front office. Skenes was pretty much open about the club’s lack of ambition at this deadline.
For now, he is hoping that the organization will add at least some offense when they next get a chance. It has come to light that the Pirates are actively working on something that matters even more. It’s finally the much-awaited contract extension of Skenes.
The team’s pre-game and post-game host, Dan Zangrilli, recently made an appearance on 93.7 The Fan. As revealed by Andrew Fillipponi, Zangrilli opened up about the entire Skenes contract saga. “The Pirates have been in talks with Paul Skenes about a contract extension. They’re trying to get something done.”
Andrew mentioned a rumor that he heard about attempts to do this [extend Skenes]. My response: “Yes.” In that I’ve heard the same. Though, I immediately acknowledged the steep, uphill battle it would be. Full interview and responses can be heard here:https://t.co/HQU1NjICwO https://t.co/lNYu6jj20C
— Dan Zangrilli (@DanZangrilli) August 4, 2025
Filipponi also nodded with a “yes,” confirming that he has heard the same. Skenes won’t enter free agency until 2029, but he will become arbitration eligible after the next season. It will take a lot for the Pirates to keep Skenes, but losing him to another club like the Yankees or the Dodgers would sting even more.
The Pirates have the advantage if they act now and sign Skenes to a long-term extension while he’s still early in his career. They can secure him at a cost far lower than the skyrocketing figures he could command as a free agent in a few years’ time. For Skenes, the upside is immediate and substantial. Rather than waiting until the next decade for his first truly massive payday, he’d start earning big money now.
Of course, there’s risk. Skenes’ performance—already worthy of Cy Young consideration—suggests that his price tag could soar even higher during arbitration, potentially commanding record sums three years in a row. While some, like Zangrilli, doubt the Pirates will want to spend so much in the short term, the opportunity cost of waiting could be fatal to the team’s hopes of building a consistent contender.
If the Pirates fail to meet his price tag, then obviously other clubs won’t hesitate to make a move for him. He’s currently only 23 and has already established his name among the qualified starters with a 2.02 ERA. Plus, did you hear about the latest accolade he added to his name?
Paul Skenes’ major feat
Safe to say that July was Skenes’ month. The 23-year-old made his second consecutive All-Star game appearance. Not just that, he also won the National League Pitcher of the Month for the first time. Across five starts, he gave up only two runs over 27 innings.
However, he concluded July with an incredibly low 0.67 ERA. Over those five outings, four were entirely scoreless. To top it all off, the Pirates’ ace also struck out 36 batters and gave up only one home run. By the end of July, his FIP was 1.70. Except for a game against the Minnesota Twins, he performed exceptionally well in all his outings. In that mid-July Twins game, Trevor Larnach took Skenes deep for a two-run homer.
Image: MLB.com
Despite performing exceptionally the entire month, Skenes only went 2-1 with two no-decisions. Reason? It’s primarily the Pirates who did not give him much run support. Plus, manager Don Kelly has been cautious with him. Skenes ended up pitching more than five innings in only two games due to the Pirates trying to limit his workload.
All said and done, he is only the eighth Pirates pitcher to win the NL Pitcher of the Month. Isn’t that exciting? Certainly, it is, but it’s also concerning when considering how the Pirates handle him moving forward.
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