MLB Insider Reveals Paul Skenes Trade Update From Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates are not moving Paul Skenes. Period.

That is the message from Jon Heyman of the New York Post, who reported Friday that a team interested in Skenes was promptly told a deal “is not happening.” It was a bold ask, and an even bolder answer, but one that aligns with everything the Pirates have said publicly and privately. For now, Skenes remains untouchable.

Heyman’s report comes with the trade deadline looming and Pittsburgh sitting in last place in the NL Central at 39-58. It also mirrors his earlier reporting from May, when a Pirates executive flatly told him there was “no way, no chance, no how” the team would even consider trading the 23-year-old ace.

Skenes has been lights out in 2025. He owns a league-best 2.01 ERA through 20 starts, with 131 strikeouts in 121 innings and a 0.93 WHIP. He has already started two straight All-Star Games, and his track record since debuting last May backs up the hype: 301 strikeouts, sub-2.00 ERA and Rookie of the Year hardware in Year One.

Skenes is under contract through 2029 thanks to that Rookie of the Year win, which triggered a full year of service time. He is now eligible for arbitration starting in 2026, setting the stage for a record-breaking run through the process. By the time he hits free agency — ahead of his age-28 season — Skenes could command one of the richest pitching contracts in league history.

And that is exactly why the Pirates are holding tight.

Despite their track record of spending restraint, Pittsburgh appears committed to building around Skenes rather than cashing in. Whether they can remain committed to that plan is a different conversation.

But for now, rival clubs are getting the same answer: Do not bother calling.

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