It’s been a month and a half since the MLB Trade Deadline, and the dust has long since settled. The Pittsburgh Pirates were one of the busiest teams at the deadline, trading away six players and getting nine in a flurry of deals.
One of those moves involved sending All-Star closer David Bednar to the New York Yankees for a trio of prospects (Rafael Flores, Edgleen Perez and Brian Sanchez). However, the Yankees reportedly had their eye on a different Pirates pitcher as well.
Jon Heyman of The New York Post reported on Thursday that New York was one of several teams that tried to strike a deal for Paul Skenes, even after Pittsburgh made it clear that Skenes was not available.
According to Heyman, the Yankees were willing to give up infielder George Lombard Jr. and outfielder Spencer Jones, their No. 1 and No. 3 prospects according to MLB Pipeline. However, their offer was declined.
Lombard, 20, was New York’s first-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft — the same draft class as Skenes. He’s currently at Double-A, where he’s struggled this season at the plate with a .216/.337/.361 batting line in 105 games.
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Jones, 24, was the Yankees’ first-round pick in 2022. He’s in Triple-A and has destroyed Minor League pitching this year, slashing .271/.358/.567 with 33 home runs and 26 steals in 108 games across Double-A and Triple-A.
It’s an intriguing offer given the Pirates’ dire need for offense. However, it’s understandable why Pittsburgh was unwilling to part ways with Skenes when he’s still under team control through 2029.
Given how dominant Skenes has been in his young career, it’s not surprising the Pirates held on to him. The 23-year-old righty will likely win his first NL Cy Young award this year and is off to one of the best career starts in Major League history.
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