Pirates GM Details Conversations With Paul Skenes Amid Trade Rumors

The Pittsburgh Pirates enter the offseason with hopes of building a contender around Paul Skenes.

Skenes won the NL Rookie of the Year last season and is expected to win the NL Cy Young Award on Wednesday. Despite all the success, Skenes’ name has come up in trade rumors, but Pirates general manager Ben Cherington has shot that down.

Instead, Cherington said he spoke to Skenes and all their conversations are about how they can build a winner in Pittsburgh.

“In a nice way, it’s really simple because what matters most to (Skenes) is what matters to us,” Cherington said, via NJ.com. “Win more games. That’s the focus because that’s what is going to be most important to him. What probably gives us the best chance to keep him in Pittsburgh for longer is winning games, and that’s what we need to do anyway.

“So in a way it helps simplify it and focus it. My conversations with him, the only thing we talk about is winning and how to do that.”

Cherington made it clear that all Skenes cares about is winning, and he’s confident that will happen with the Pirates. The general manager also shut down any talks of Pittsburgh trading its ace.

“He’s going to be a Pirate in 2026,” Cherington said.

Skenes went 10-10 with a 1.97 ERA in 32 starts last season with the Pirates.

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