The Pittsburgh Pirates have endured the disastrous start to the season so far, and MLB fans have begun to ignite rumors about the trade involving star player Paul Skens.
Why are Pittsburgh Pirates struggling in 2025?
As of May 23, Pittsburgh’s Pirates are currently in 14th place in the National League or third place in the National League Central, with only the Colorado Rockies, Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles having fewer victories.
Boasting a 17-34 record is not something Pirates fans had in mind at this stage of the season. Pittsburgh has no rich history, especially as he is a five-time World Series winner.
Of the 16 series in MLB so far, the Pittsburgh Pirates have played the franchise in three or four game blocks, beating the St. Louis Cardinals (2-1), the Washington Nationals (3-1), the Los Angeles Angels (2-1), the Atlanta Braves (2-1), and the Cinnati Red (2-1).
As for why the Pirates are struggling, they are one of the lowest scoring teams in MLB, and have come to their final World Series victory in 1979, so the offensive display is inadequate.
Years have been a difficult number for the Pirates in general, closing the bottom of National League Central in 2024 and only number one in 2023.
One person who can’t blame the Pirates’ poor season in 2025 is Paul Skens. Despite holding a record of 3-5 so far, the youth have accumulated some strong numbers.
In fact, the 22-year-old’s great era was a great 2.44 era, 12th best in MLB as of May 23, but gives up only 45 hits and 19 runs, attacking 62 batters in the process.
The Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher is currently sitting at No. 10 in the whip in the .190 MLB rankings, and his performance has made other MLB fans wonder if he should be traded for an actual World Series contender.
Will the Pittsburgh Pirates trade Paulsken?
Supporters of other MLB franchises outside of Pittsburgh have begun rumours about Paul Skenneth’s trade, but there seems to be little chance of a move happening.
The 22-year-old still has a multi-year deal left on his contract in Pittsburgh, and they clearly plan to build a side around the star pitcher after the Pirates chose Sken as the number one pick in the 2023 MLB draft.
Vencherington, general manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates, said he quickly shut down the tweets on a trade involving Paul Skens and there was no conversation there.
When asked about Paul Skens’ trade, Cherington said: “No, that’s not part of the conversation.”
This solid attitude strongly suggests that the pirates are not entertaining the possibility of Paul Skens’ trade deals, but conversations may begin when these poor performances continue.
The conversation about travelling from Pittsburgh is unlikely to occur in 2025, but if the pirates aren’t competing for the World Series, Skenes may not be trying to sign an extension deal.
Which MLB franchise will sign Paul Skens?
Many MLB franchises will consider deals involving Paul Skens if they say goodbye to the Pirates, and his numbers reflect the star who could become one of the highest paying players in MLB.
Franchises such as the Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers, Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers may not be too interested as they already have star pitchers.
However, there could be interest from teams that are close to or already competing in the World Series, such as the New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Boston Red Sox.
