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Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Paul Skenes Receives Massive Trade Prediction Before MLB Deadline
Paul Skenes Receives Massive Trade Prediction Before MLB Deadline originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Pittsburgh Pirates have struggled through the 2025 MLB season thus far. Those struggles have led to trade rumors surrounding superstar ace pitcher Paul Skenes. Advertisement Skenes, who has become one of the best starting pitchers in baseball, would be of interest to every team in baseball if he were made available. He is just 23 years old and is already playing at a level most pitchers never reach. While the rumors have been surrounding Skenes, it would still be shocking to see the Pirates make the decision to trade the superstar face of the franchise. A new prediction has been made for the ace ahead of the upcoming MLB trade deadline on July 31. Bleacher Report analyst Tim Kelly has made the bold prediction that Pittsburgh will not be trading Skenes this year. He thinks they're going to continue trying to build a contender around him. Advertisement "Whether it's Ben Cherington or someone else leading the baseball operations moving forward, it's fair to wonder if owner Bob Nutting will be willing to authorize the necessary spending to put a playoff-caliber team around Skenes before he prices his way out of Pittsburgh," Kelly wrote. "But it's way too early to admit defeat." Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30)Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images So far this season with the Pirates, Skenes has made 15 starts. He has compiled a 4-6 record to go along with a 1.78 ERA, a 0.85 WHIP, a 4.4 K/BB ratio, and 96 innings completed. Even though Pittsburgh has been unable to build a contender to this point, there is still hope. It would be a massive shock if the Pirates opted to trade Skenes now. Related: Paul Skenes Makes Unfortunate MLB History Following Pirates Game This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 14, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Times
23-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Rosenthal: Would the Pirates trade Paul Skenes? A fascinating but unlikely idea for now
Trade Paul Skenes? The Pittsburgh Pirates should build around Paul Skenes. But they punted on an opportunity to do that last offseason, and the chances of owner Bob Nutting splurging this offseason are about as good as his team's current playoff odds: 0.3 percent. So, Skenes trade talk is percolating, in the media if not yet in reality. Pirates general manager Ben Cherington, when asked by reporters Thursday if the team is open to trading Skenes, said, 'No. It's not at all part of the conversation.' Advertisement Still, the idea is fascinating, and for a team so far away from contention, perfectly rational, considering the risk of injury for any pitcher. But such a deal would require the Pirates to demonstrate three qualities they rarely display — nerve, creativity and savvy. Among the obstacles to a Skenes trade: The status of Cherington If Cherington is not going to be the GM beyond this season, then why the heck would Nutting trust him to move Skenes? Cherington, following the dismissal of manager Derek Shelton on May 8, might only be safe because teams generally refrain from changing heads of baseball operations in the middle of the season. Thus, Cherington also will preside over the draft, a daunting thought considering that since taking over in November 2019, he has yet to produce a homegrown star position player. From 2020 to '22, the Pirates took second baseman Nick Gonzales, catcher Henry Davis and infielder Termarr Johnson while picking in the top seven. To this point at least, none has made anything close to an impact. The Pirates are 5-8 under Don Kelly since starting the season 12-26 under Derek Shelton. Far-fetched as it might sound, they could save Cherington by turning around their season. But if Nutting is even thinking about trading Skenes, he would figure to leave the task to the next GM. Skenes' extreme value Think about it: What would even be a fair return for Skenes? In 2022, outfielder Juan Soto was under club control for three pennant races when he and first baseman Josh Bell brought the Washington Nationals a monstrous return from the San Diego Padres: outfielder James Wood, left-hander MacKenzie Gore and shortstop CJ Abrams; outfielder Robert Hassell III, pitcher Jarlin Susana and first baseman Luke Voit. Skenes is under club control for five pennant races. To justify the move, the Pirates would need to beat the return for Soto, and not by a little. Even if contenders were willing to empty their farm systems for Skenes, as they almost certainly would be, how many would even have enough talent to make a deal happen? Advertisement Skenes' affordability only adds to his value. His current salary is $875,000. He will be pre-arbitration again next season. And even in arbitration, no pitcher outside of two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani has earned more than $20 million in a single season. Skenes likely would need to win multiple Cy Young Awards to establish new precedents. His surplus value, then, is likely to remain high throughout the process. The message a trade would send The Pirates are steamrolling toward their seventh straight losing season. If they trade Skenes — heck, even if they don't — what are they looking at? Three more losing seasons? Five? An infinite number? The right trade — say, one that included top Boston Red Sox prospects Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer, among other goodies — might change the conversation. And if Skenes suffers a serious arm injury while still in Pittsburgh, the first thing people will say is that the Pirates should not have waited to move him. The problem for the Pirates is that their fans do not trust them to do anything even remotely intelligent, and likely will be infuriated if the team parts with perhaps the best pitcher in franchise history after little more than one season. Then again, fans already are infuriated. Skenes has a 2.44 ERA. And the Pirates are 3-7 in his starts. This year alone, the club needed to correct two off-field bungles: the removal of the Roberto Clemente sign from the right-field wall and the dumping of ceremonial Bucco Bricks at a recycling facility. And the last time the Pirates traded an elite starting pitcher, under previous GM Neal Huntington, their return for two years of Gerrit Cole was pitchers Joe Musgrove and Michael Feliz, third baseman Colin Moran and outfielder Jason Martin. Too little, too late. Skenes is a depreciating asset who will never sign with the Pirates long-term. Fellow right-hander Jared Jones is out until 2026 after undergoing a UCL repair in his elbow. A monster package of major-league-ready hitters for Skenes could align with Jones' return and the ascent of top pitching prospect Bubba Chandler. But let's stop making the case for a move beyond Pittsburgh's capability. Advertisement The best bet is that Skenes will still be a Pirate on Aug. 1. The St. Louis Cardinals arguably are the season's most surprising success story, considering their front office did not try to improve the roster over the winter. But the starting rotation, despite entering Thursday ranked fourth in the majors in innings and 10th in ERA, remains a potential trouble spot. The Cardinals' defense is the league's best, according to Outs Above Average. But the rotation's 19 percent strikeout rate ranked 25th. The more balls in play the starters allow, the greater the chances hits will fall. And as The Athletic's Katie Woo recently wrote, the team is making a concentrated effort to induce more swing-and-miss. Another potential issue with the rotation is its lack of depth. The Cardinals currently have only one player on the injured list — lefty Zack Thompson, who is on the 60-day IL with a torn lat. The Philadelphia Phillies also have only one player on the IL, righty Aaron Nola, who is on the 15-day list with a sprained right ankle. The difference is, the Phillies go six deep in their rotation when Nola is healthy — seven if you count Mick Abel, who shut out the Pirates for six innings on Sunday in his major-league debut, eight if you count top prospect Andrew Painter, who has a 2.25 ERA in his first three starts at Triple A. The Cardinals wisely employed a six-man rotation in April to preserve their starters, including righties Miles Mikolas, 36, and Sonny Gray, 35. But outside of lefty Steven Matz, who made two starts in April, their only depth option is righty Michael McGreevy, who pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings against the New York Mets before returning to Triple A. Offensively, the Cardinals entered Thursday ranked seventh in runs per game despite being 19th in homers. Rather than chase power, they're focusing on what they do best, putting balls in play. So far, so good, even with a bench that also is thin — they entered Thursday third in hits and second in doubles. Advertisement 'I said before the year, I thought they had a good team,' said former Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, who is now with the New York Yankees. 'I know I'm gone, and a couple of the starting pitchers are gone. But the guys who are still there are really good players. 'Before the year — and I told some of the St. Louis writers this — I thought they would surprise a lot of people. And without talking to those guys, inside the clubhouse, I don't think they were all thinking rebuild or anything. I think they were thinking they were going to play well, and they have.' Quality catchers are generally in short supply. But the New York Yankees keep churning 'em out. Red Sox rookie Carlos Narváez takes pride in pointing out that eight catchers who opened camp with the Yankees in the spring of 2024 are currently in the majors. And the list does not even include Kyle Higashioka, whom the Yankees included in the Juan Soto deal in December 2023. The group starts with the Yankees' current catchers, Austin Wells and rookie J.C. Escarra. It includes two other rookies — Narváez, who went to the Red Sox for righty Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, and Agustín Ramírez, who went to the Miami Marlins as part of the Jazz Chisholm Jr. trade. Rounding out the list are three veterans: the Cincinnati Reds' Jose Trevino, who brought back reliever Fernando Cruz in a trade; the Tampa Bay Rays' Ben Rortvedt, who was part of a three-team deal for Jon Berti; and New York Mets' Luis Torrens, who was traded for cash. Could be Tarik Skubal or Riley Greene, Javier Báez or Spencer Torkelson, pick a Tiger, any Tiger. How about Zach McKinstry? McKinstry, acquired from the Chicago Cubs for righty Carlos Guzman on March 27, 2023, epitomizes the Tigers' everyman approach. With several of the team's outfielders injured, McKinstry, 30, began the season playing mostly right field. He returned to third base after the Tigers demoted Jace Jung. On Tuesday night, he started at third, moved to left after manager A.J. Hinch pinch-hit for Akil Baddoo and caught two fly balls for the final outs of the Tigers' 5-4 victory over the Cardinals. Advertisement Hinch in recent games has batted McKinstry third, giving the Tigers a speedy on-base threat in front of Greene. A left-handed hitter, McKinstry earned Hinch's trust in part due to his platoon splits — an .875 OPS vs. lefties entering Thursday, a .747 OPS vs. righties. One more note on the Tigers: They still figure to need a right-handed bat, even after Matt Vierling comes off the injured list. They entered Thursday sixth in OPS against lefties, but teams try to use as many lefties against them as possible, knowing their biggest threats — Greene, Kerry Carpenter, Parker Meadows after he comes off the IL, even McKinstry — bat left-handed. Time to ask: Which Orioles player might bring back the most in a trade? The best guess is probably closer Félix Bautista, who is earning just $1 million this season and under club control for two more. Center fielder Cedric Mullins and starting pitchers Zach Eflin and Tomoyuki Sugano also figure to be in demand, but all would be rentals. And a trade of Sugano, whom the Orioles signed to a one-year, $13 million free-agent contract in December, would not be a good look for an organization trying to establish a presence in Japan. Before Sugano, the Orioles' last Japanese free-agent signee to appear in their uniform was reliever Koji Uehara in 2009. The team's front office wooed Sugano by appealing to his professional instincts, selling the quality of their club and offering ideas for how they could help him improve. Sugano has done his part, producing a 3.07 ERA in 10 starts (though his expected ERA is 4.36). The Orioles, though, are a 16-32 disaster, and they've already fired manager Brandon Hyde. Not exactly a great advertisement for future Japanese players who might consider them. And if they trade Sugano, it might only look worse. Comeback stories are the best baseball stories, and left-hander Patrick Corbin is crafting a pretty good one with the Texas Rangers. Corbin, 35, completed his six-year, $140 million contract with the Washington Nationals last season. He helped the team win the 2019 World Series, and during his tenure ranked third in the majors in starts. His adjusted ERA, however, was 18 percent below league average. After becoming a free agent last offseason, Corbin said he drew early interest from the New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves, among others. Some of the teams pursuing him wanted him as a reliever. Corbin preferred to start. He held out until March 18, then joined the Rangers on a one-year, $1.1 million contract, becoming a potential replacement for the injured Cody Bradford and Jon Gray. By April 8, Corbin was in the Rangers' rotation. And in eight starts, he has relied upon his familiar sinker-slider repertoire to produce a 3.59 ERA, though his expected ERA is nearly a run higher. Advertisement 'Maybe a change of scenery was for the best,' Corbin said. The Cleveland Guardians entered Thursday with the fifth lowest combined OPS from their outfielders, ahead of only the Kansas City Royals, Atlanta Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago White Sox. Right field, in particular, is a problem, and the Guardians don't have a Ronald Acuña Jr. coming off the IL the way the Braves do. Still, the return of center fielder Lane Thomas on Thursday night should help. Thomas was out a month with a bone bruise in his right wrist. David Fry, who is on a rehabilitation assignment after undergoing reconstructive surgery on his right elbow, will provide another right-handed bat in the DH spot once he is ready. And highly regarded outfield prospect Chase DeLauter, recovering from core muscle surgery, could be a factor in the second half. • The only way the Los Angeles Dodgers can truly ruin baseball is if they figure out how to keep their pitchers healthy. That day does not figure to come anytime soon. The Dodgers' 14 players on the IL are the most in the majors. All 14 of those injured players are pitchers. Their combined salaries total more than $105 million when prorating the $52 million signing bonus in Blake Snell's five-year, $182 million contract. Even with all that, the Dodgers lead the NL West by two games. Their estimated $393 million payroll is certain to remain a topic of conversation in the next round of collective bargaining talks. But when it comes to competitive balance, their inability to keep pitchers healthy remains something of an equalizer. • How are those managerial changes in Baltimore and Colorado working out? The Orioles are 1-4 under Tony Mansolino after going 15-28 under Brandon Hyde. And the Rockies are 1-9 under Warren Schaeffer after going 7-33 under Bud Black. Advertisement • The Los Angeles Angels have won seven straight games since I wrote this column critical of them for failing to capitalize on the Shohei Ohtani years. Clearly — and for all you literalists, I'm typing this with my tongue firmly in cheek — the column snapped the entire organization to attention. As The Athletic's Jayson Stark might say, you're welcome! (Top photo of Paul Skenes: Rich Graessle / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CBS News
15-05-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Bucco Bricks investigation reveals Pirates "opted to discard them," Pittsburgh Sports & Exhibition authority says
An independent investigation into the ongoing saga surrounding Bucco Bricks, PNC Park, and the Pittsburgh Pirates found the team was given options for saving the commemorative bricks, but chose instead to get rid of them. The Pittsburgh Sports and Exhibition Authority released its findings Thursday, saying in part that a plan was presented to the team to either keep the bricks or give them back to fans, but the team declined. "Rather than being treated as construction debris, careful steps were taken and project funds were expended to salvage and preserve the Bucco Bricks either for reinstallation or for a return of them to the fans who had purchased them," the report read. "The Pirates rejected both of those options and opted instead to discard them." What are Bucco Bricks? Prior to the opening of PNC Park in 2001, the Pirates offered fans the opportunity to purchase commemorative, personalized bricks that were laid outside of the stadium's home plate entrance. In September 2024, the Pittsburgh Sports and Exhibition Authority approved a sidewalk replacement project outside of PNC Park. During the project, the construction company P.J. Dick removed the bricks, with instructions not to treat them as construction debris. the Bucco Bricks were set aside then shrink-wrapped on a pallet. In total, 32 pallets of bricks were handed over to the Pirates, and the construction company continued with the sidewalk replacement project, the report stated. When the project was completed in March of this year, fans started asking questions about their missing Bucco Bricks. Bucco Bricks spotted at recycling facility Then, last month, the bricks were found at a recycling facility. Pictures and videos sent to KDKA-TV showed Bucco Bricks being brought to facilities, including one in Reserve Township, where building materials are brought to be recycled. (Photo: Provided) It was the conclusion of a long push by fans demanding answers to where their cherished keepsakes had gone. "Unbelievable. That's unbelievable," said fan Mark Robinson. "We bought those bricks. That's my brick. I mean, my daughter's name is literally on the brick. It's mine, and they just got rid of it. It's awful." Pirates owner Bob Nutting apologizes to fan As the story continued to unfold, one fan told KDKA-TV he received a personal email from team owner Bob Nutting, apologizing for the way the situation was handled. "I think he took it as a shock, just like everyone else did," Brian Carothers said. "It was an apology email, saying he was embarrassed by how the situation was handled with the Bucco Bricks." (Photo: KDKA) In the email, Nutting said he saw Carothers' interview with KDKA-TV and wanted to reach out to him. He added he would have supported selling the bricks to him if possible. Nutting said the images of the bricks "carelessly tossed aside" were a mistake, disrespectful, and offered his apologies. In response, the team has now offered free replica bricks to fans as a sign of goodwill. "I know how meaningful the messages and tributes are. We respect that. We appreciate that," Pirates President Travis Williams wrote in a letter. "We are, and have always been, absolutely committed to ensuring these special messages and tributes live on permanently at PNC Park." Bucco Bricks investigation launched At the April 10 board meeting of the Pittsburgh Sports and Exhibition Authority, it was decided that an independent investigation would be conducted into the removal and disposal of the bricks. The report, released Thursday, detailed how the bricks came to be disposed of. "The Pirates have stated that reinstalling the pavers was not a viable long-term option because, over time, they would become a tripping hazard and would need to be replaced again," the report read. It also found that no public funds were used to dispose of the commemorative bricks. "The only expenditure of project funds was to salvage and preserve the bricks," it said. "Specifically, P.J. Dick was paid $13,500 for performing that service." In total, the investigation found that contract documents and specifications of the project were prepared on the Pittsburgh Sports and Exhibition Authority's behalf to "salvage, preserve, and deliver the Bucco Bricks to the Pirates." The full report can be found at this link. We have reached out to the Pirates for comment and will update this story once we receive a response.
Newsweek
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Pirates Fire Derek Shelton: Owner Accused of 'Scapegoat' Move
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Pittsburgh Pirates have decided to make a change. After opening up the season with a 12-26 record and sitting in last place in the National League Central division, the team opted to fire manager Derek Shelton. "Derek is a good man who did a lot for the Pirates and Pittsburgh, but it was time for a change," team owner Bob Nutting said in a release from the team. "The first quarter of the season has been frustrating and painful for all of us. We have to do better." And while there is a clear wins-and-losses reason to move on from Shelton, even at this relatively early point in the season, Nutting has been accused of earning more of the blame than the manager who just lost his job. PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 15: Team owner Bob Nutting of the Pittsburgh Pirates looks on from the dugout before a Major League Baseball game against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park on September 15, 2013... PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 15: Team owner Bob Nutting of the Pittsburgh Pirates looks on from the dugout before a Major League Baseball game against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park on September 15, 2013 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Pirates defeated the Cubs 3-2. (Photo by) More Gojkovich/Getty Predicting this outcome for Shelton, Major League Baseball insider Robert Murray recently accused Nutting of "setting Derek Shelton up to fail." "I've been very vocal about my Pittsburgh Pirates disappointment, and how it falls primarily on owner Bob Nutting's shoulders," Murray wrote. "With Nutting running the show, the team is bound for continued mediocrity. That mediocrity requires a scapegoat for public relations purposes. ... And that's not fair to Shelton." Murray argued that it was virtually impossible for Shelton to win given the Pirates' relatively miniscule payroll. With a $90.3 million payroll for this year, per Spotrac, the team ranks 23rd in MLB. Even with that relatively small financial commitment, the Pirates have some intriguing players and there's a reasonable expectation that they could have performed better up to this point. The starting rotation includes Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller and Jared Jones, with Bubba Chandler waiting in the wings. And they hold some exciting young position players, like Oneil Cruz. But Murray was adamant that no manager could do much better as long as Nutting is at the helm. "Since being hired in PIttsburgh, Shelton has been set up to fail," he added. "If this is his final season in Pittsburgh, he'll surely land on his feet. But don't go blaming Shelton for Bob Nutting's mistakes – and unless he decides to sell the team, the Pirates will continue to be what they've long been: mediocre." Immediately following Shelton's departure, bench coach Don Kelly was named manager. More MLB: Phillies Trade Scenario Deals No. 1 Prospect for Alec Bohm Replacement With 'Thump'
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Firing manager Derek Shelton will not save the Pirates
The lowly Pirates have a new captain. On Thursday, the Pittsburgh Pirates announced that manager Derek Shelton has been relieved of his duties. Bench coach Don Kelly, a Pittsburgh native who has been with the club since 2020, will take over as manager. It is the earliest in an MLB season that a manager has gotten fired since 2018, when Cincinnati canned Bryan Price on April 19 after his club started 3-15. Advertisement Predictably, the Pirates' news release contained enough word soup from GM Ben Cherington and owner Bob Nutting to feed a small village. Hired in November 2019, Shelton leaves the Steel City with a 306-440 record. Pittsburgh's .410 winning percentage over that span ranks third-worst in MLB, better only than Washington and Colorado. After an ugly, 19-win showing in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Shelton's Pirates posted win totals of 61, 62, 76 and 76. The 2025 club sits at 12-26 entering play Thursday, tracking toward a 51-win campaign despite the continued brilliance of sophomore ace Paul Skenes, widely considered the best young hurler in baseball. Shelton's tenure was defined by losing, ownership's constant unwillingness to spend on payroll, losing, the arrival of Skenes and more losing. In fact, Shelton's .410 winning percentage is the third-lowest among managers to serve at least five years in the Integration Era. His Pirates never made the playoffs, never finished higher than fourth in the NL Central and never came particularly close to finishing over .500. Advertisement But to pin all the woe on Shelton is unfair. He is merely the fall guy, the scapegoat, the sacrificial lamb of an organization poisoned by decades of institutional rot. The Pirates have won 80 games in a season just four times since 1992. Only the Kansas City Royals have compiled more losses in the 21st century. Owner Bob Nutting has not inked a free agent to a multi-year contract since December 2017, nearly two years before he hired Shelton and Cherington. So while Shelton might not have been the magic solution for the Pirates, he certainly wasn't the problem. Here's the actual problem: The 2025 Pirates don't have enough good baseball players. The same was true for every other season of the Shelton era. His clubs never underperformed or disappointed or capitulated in embarrassing fashion. They were simply undermanned. Advertisement And it all starts at the top, with ownership. More specifically, the issues are rooted in Nutting's tolerance of mediocrity. He is happy to carry a small payroll, build bad ball clubs, under-invest in all corners of the organization and turn a profit. And Pirates fans, like their team, lose. Perhaps Kelly, the new man in charge, can inject a refreshing, invigorating perspective into the current club. Perhaps not. But it doesn't really matter because there is nothing he can say or do to turn this calamity of an organization into a real winner. Cherington, who is under contract through next season, has failed to build a contender but remains hamstrung by his bosses. Nothing will change until ownership does. For now, though, Derek Shelton can live peacefully, knowing that Moses himself couldn't have shepherded his desolate Pirates rosters to playoff glory.
