Few players in baseball have risen to superstardom faster than Pittsburgh Pirates Pitcher Paul Skenes. The former first overall pick almost completely bypassed the minor leagues en route to winning Rookie of the Year and being a contender for the Cy Young award.
But despite his dominance, his squad has a measly record of 17-33 this season, prompting some to speculate he could be traded.
One team mentioned in those rumors has been the division rival Chicago Cubs.
On the B/R Walkoff X account, they proposed a hypothetical trade for the Cubs to land Pittsburgh’s budding young superstar.
“Trade Proposal: Chicago Cubs get RHP Paul Skenes; Pittsburgh Pirates get 3B Matt Shaw (Cubs No. 1), RHP Cade Horton (Cubs No. 2), OF Owen Caissie (Cubs No. 4)”
Trade Proposal: Chicago Cubs get RHP Paul Skenes; Pittsburgh Pirates get 3B Matt Shaw (Cubs No. 1), RHP Cade Horton (Cubs No. 2), OF Owen Caissie (Cubs No. 4)
A no-brainer for Chicago
It’s understandable why the Cubs would be willing to part ways with three of their top four prospects for Skenes. Not only do the Cubs currently have a huge need in the rotation, but this is the kind of front-of-the-rotation arm they have lacked since Jake Arrieta was winning the Cy Young award.
As unlikely as this trade may seem (and it is), it is worth pondering a package for Pittsburgh. The Pirates have been one of MLB’s worst franchises this past decade. The entire reason they were able to land Skenes in the first place was due to them being bad enough to land the #1 overall pick in the draft.
As amazing as Skenes is, the Pirates would receive a huge influx of young-controllable talent to build a core around.
99, 99, 100 🔥🔥🔥
Assuming the Pirates are willing to listen to talks, which is a big if, a team like Chicago makes sense. Yes, the Cubs play in the same division as Pittsburgh, but that shouldn’t stop the Pirates from making a trade if that was the best offer. The Cubs have assembled one of the best farm systems in all of Baseball, and are one of the few teams with the ammunition to land a player like Skenes.
Shades of Juan Soto
The deal most similar to a hypothetical Skenes deal would be when the San Diego Padres traded for Juan Soto. At the time, Soto had two and a half years of club control, and as a result, he netted a haul.
The Padres sent over four of their top five prospects, including CJ Abrams, Robert Hassell III, Mackenzie Gore, and James Wood. The price for a superstar wasn’t cheap, and that trade has worked out well for Washington. While Skenes has more control, he may not fetch as steep a price due to his position.
The package acquired has supercharged their rebuild and given them a young core that rivals any in baseball. The Pirates may be wise to follow suit, as they could turn one player into three or four high-impact pieces for the future.
While there is a slim chance the Cubs could pull off such an earth-shattering move, it’s an interesting deep dive into a potential suitor for Pittsburgh.
Cubs Land Pitcher Paul Skenes in Bold Proposed Trade