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The New York Yankees rarely shy away from chasing stars, and few pitchers fit that mold like Paul Skenes. The Pittsburgh Pirates’ Cy Young frontrunner has already established himself as one of the most dominant arms in baseball, and the Yankees have made it clear they want him. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that New York was one of only a handful of clubs to check in on Skenes, even with the Pirates insisting he is untouchable.
That inquiry came just days after Skenes’ high-profile girlfriend, Olivia “Livvy” Dunne, made headlines of her own. The LSU gymnast turned social media star has been apartment-hunting in Manhattan, even bidding on Babe Ruth’s former Upper West Side home. Although the co-op board blocked her bid, Dunne’s search only fueled speculation that New York could become an eventual destination for the couple.
Yankees Made the Call Anyway
Heyman noted that Yankees officials understood the slim chances of pulling off a blockbuster trade but still decided a phone call “couldn’t hurt.” New York even showed a willingness to include two of its top prospects—Spencer Jones and George Lombard Jr.—in preliminary talks. That’s no small thing. Jones has drawn comparisons to Aaron Judge as a potential power bat, while Lombard Jr. has emerged as a cornerstone infield piece.
Talks fizzled because Pittsburgh, now surging under interim manager Don Kelly, refuses to part with its rotation ace. Still, the Yankees’ interest shows how highly they value Skenes. In a season where their pitching depth has faced constant scrutiny, adding a young ace with years of control would answer multiple questions at once.
Why the Yankees Can’t Stop Dreaming
Meanwhile, Dunne’s real estate adventures have become a story of their own. The New York Post detailed how she lost out on an all-cash $1.59 million bid for Ruth’s former apartment after posting about it to her millions of Instagram followers. A wary co-op board denied the sale, uneasy with her visibility.
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Dunne hasn’t abandoned her goal of living in New York. She said she still wants an apartment in the city, and she and Skenes were spotted touring buildings before the denial. While Heyman emphasized that the Yankees didn’t read Dunne’s search as evidence of Skenes’ career preferences, the optics still add intrigue. New York could look more appealing to the couple over time.
The Yankees already will feature Gerrit Cole at the top of their rotation, but pairing him with Skenes would create one of the most formidable one-two punches in baseball. With Cole aging and depth issues persisting, Skenes offers both short-term dominance and long-term stability. His star power also fits perfectly with the Yankees’ brand—an ace on the field and a high-profile couple off it, with Dunne’s celebrity expanding the reach beyond sports.
The Pirates have every reason to keep saying no. But for the Yankees, who haven’t lifted a World Series trophy since 2009, there’s every reason to keep knocking on the door. Dunne’s apartment hunt in New York adds another layer to the narrative, and Skenes has already become a household name. That combination makes the argument for a blockbuster deal as strong as ever.
Yankees Have Strong Case to Trade for Ace as Girlfriend Eyes NYC