Paul Skenes, the six-foot-six phenom with a triple-digit fastball and ace-level composure, has quickly become the most electric young pitcher in baseball. In just his first few months with the Pittsburgh Pirates, he’s shown command and control beyond his years.
But despite his dominance, the Pirates, currently hovering near .500 and facing long-term payroll questions, are now the subject of serious speculation regarding a potential trade of their prized right-hander.
With contenders circling and Skenes’ value sky-high, it’s not a question of if teams are calling. It’s how loud Pittsburgh is listening.
One trade proposal making waves online is a scenario that'd see the New York Mets leverage their top prospect capital for a Skenes splash.
The hypothetical ignited conversation due to its aggressive structure and the idea that New York may be willing to part with several cornerstone pieces for a shot at an ace.
“For the Mets, they come to the table with essentially four of their top five prospects—subject to change of course. His trade sends Jett Williams, Carson Benge, Brandon Sproat, and Ryan Clifford to the Pirates for Skenes. Too much? Too little? For a player at Skenes’ age, caliber, potential, and selling power in the box office, it’s a deal David Stearns couldn’t make fast enough if this is all it would take," FanSided's Tim Boyle wrote.
It’s hard to overstate how seismic a Skenes-to-New York trade would be. Especially for the Mets, a franchise desperate for a long-term ace and a cultural reset. After the Scherzer and Verlander experiments fizzled, adding a controllable star like Skenes would signal the beginning of a new era.
The fanbase would erupt. CitiField would be electric every fifth day. But the cost, four of the system’s top five prospects, is steep, and while Mets brass may justify it by pointing to Skenes’ ticket-selling power, it also underscores the franchise’s struggle to build from within.
The Yankees, by contrast, would likely need to outbid with a package centered around Spencer Jones and perhaps Will Warren or Everson Pereira.
Brian Cashman has long been reluctant to gut the farm for pitching, but with Gerrit Cole aging and the rotation volatile beyond Nestor Cortes, this is the kind of move that could anchor a World Series run.
Imagine Skenes in pinstripes under the October lights, it’s easy to sell, harder to part with the future.
Then there’s Boston. The Red Sox have a sneaky-good farm and could build an offer around Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony, but the Pirates may hesitate to send a generational talent to another small-market AL team with rising ambitions.
Still, Skenes at Fenway would give Boston a modern-day Pedro Martinez energy, high-octane, fiery, and box office gold. Whether ownership is ready to make that kind of splash remains unclear.
The Dodgers, with their pitching depth and willingness to spend, might be the team best equipped to both absorb and optimize Skenes’ talent. Pairing him with Walker Buehler, Bobby Miller, and eventually Shohei Ohtani (if he returns to the mound) would give L.A. a devastating rotation core.
The problem? They’d likely need to part with Dalton Rushing, Nick Frasso, and Josue De Paula to get it done. With the Dodgers playing the long game on sustainability, they may not go all-in.
Yet.
Philadelphia is a potential dark horse. The Phillies are built to win now, and Skenes would instantly become the rotation’s future behind Wheeler and Nola. A package including Mick Abel, Justin Crawford, and another top-10 name might put them in the mix.
It’s a bold move, but with Dombrowski at the helm, never rule out the aggressive play, especially when it fits the Phillies’ blue-collar, high-intensity identity.