It might be the hottest topic in the league right know and it all started with just a genuine statement from baseballs finest Jeff Passan. On the Pat McAfee show, he floated the idea that it’s not crazy to think or say that the Pittsburgh Pirates should trade Paul Skenes. It’s not to say that they will and he put emphasis on that, but given the state of the franchise and how they operate, it really isn’t the craziest thought out there. What’s crazy though is that we are genuinely having this conversation and he’s entering his second year with the club and the league.

Is Trading Paul Skenes That Crazy of a Thought?

Here’s the thing, it’s not as crazy as it sounds despite it being unlikely. Skenes has four more years of team control. If a team is to truly come in a present an offer, the return is astronomical. It’s the type of return that the Angels should’ve gotten for Shohei Ohtani during his walk year. But does any team have a realistic package to even give the Pirates and would the Pirates entertain it? Remains to be seen, but I imagine a team would at the very least try.

Let me be crystal clear; if the Pirates front office actually traded Skenes they should be fired immediately and out of a job. If they were to truly trade him, they’d have to believe that they will get a return that will help shape their roster or they believe that there is no way they will be able to pay him the market value that he deserves. Which now given the talent and the player, it really does lead us to the discussion and for a multitude of reasons.

Why is This Even a Discussion?

It is actually really crazy that this is being floated out there and this early into his career. But given the state of the franchise, it does make sense. Skenes is entering his sophomore season and has yet again shown his dominance on the mound. Skenes has a 2.44 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP and takes the ball every fifth day when he is on the mound. This is a pitcher that won the NL Rookie of the Year, opened in the All-Star Game and was a CY Young finalist. What the Pirates have on their hands is a generational talent and one of the faces of our great sport. The issue is the way they operate.

The Pirates finished 76-86, good for fifth in the NL Central last season. This season, they are 15-32 and buried at the bottom of the conference and if not for the Rockies they’d be last. Oh, not to mention, they fired their manager, even though that is a scapegoat for how poor the roster is constructed. At the time, the Pirates were 12-26, and Skenes said, “we’re 12-26. Someone’s got to be held accountable and unfortunately it’s him.” Of course something has to give, but blame needs to be elsewhere.

The fact of the matter is, is that the front office has not done enough to put a team around Skenes. Heck, this guy threw a complete game against the Phillies (Sunday, May 18) and the Pirates lost 1-0. This same thing happened against the Cardinals, where they lost a one run game in an outing where he’s pitched dominantly. Zero run support and for a guy who goes out there and shoves.

When you look at the rotation, Skenes has a 2.44 ERA. The rest of the rotation? 4.21 combined. The bullpen ranks 21st in ERA as a team, and the offense is one of the worst in baseball. Every baseball fan around the world knows the Pirates needed to add more and add bats to their lineup. Other than O’Neill Cruz, offense is hard to come by and they only have three batters with a wRC+ well above 100, which is league average. As a whole, the Pirates are last in runs scored, 29th in home runs, and last in RBI’s. Not even to mention, they struggle to hit for average and even getting on base let alone hit for power. It is just bad all around.

Look, the Pirates are a smaller market team. Yes, it is tough to bring in the biggest fish on the market because you will always have the bigger teams like the Dodgers or Yankees bidding and will likely outbid you. But the fact of the matter is, you don’t necessarily need the biggest star, you just need capable baseball players that can help you win. Reminiscing about a wild card game over a decade ago isn’t really all that fun. Bob Nutting is one of the owners pushing for a salary cap to even the playing field.

Sure, it’ll force them to actually spend, but will they? It remains to be seen, which brings us to the trade talks.

The Pirates operate like a small market team and are showing no signs of pushing the envelope to invest in the team AND their prized pitcher. Skenes, went on to talk about how the front office needs to do more and yet they haven’t. The fans deserve better and so does Skenes.

“It’s not just Paul Skenes who deserves better,” Passan said. “It’s Pittsburgh Pirates fans who deserve better, and they deserve a system that allows teams to keep great players. Now, in some cases, guys will stay with small market teams; we’ve seen that … But what incentive does Paul Skenes have to extend with the Pirates when the Pirates haven’t shown the willingness – from Bob Nutting all the way down – or the ability to bring in guys who are going to make this team better? The Pirates haven’t shown that they are worthy of a Paul Skenes extension at this point.”

It’s way too early, and it’s sad we’re having this discussion, but never say never in the world of sports. And given the talent and the organization, this will be an ongoing topic until his time is up.