A look at the Paul Skenes card market if he gets traded to the Mets
In this story:
Over the last few weeks there’s been tons of chatter regarding the Pittsburgh Pirates and the possibility of trading generational pitching talent and the former 1st overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, Paul Skenes, out of the three rivers area and to a staff that may not only be in need of an ace, but also one that may in the running for a deep playoff run. With that said, I wanted to take a closer look at a hypothetical trade to the New York Mets and highlight the impact such a trade would have on Skene’s collectibles market.
RELATED: Paul Skenes' Superfractors and 1/1s Pulled This Year
There’s no doubt that a potential acquisition of Skenes by the Mets would signal that they’re hunkering down to make a deep playoff run and are in the running as a serious World Series contender. Skenes would be joining the likes of Kodai Senga, Clay Holmes, Tylor MeGill and Edwin Diaz and instantly add depth to an already stacked starting rotation.
RELATED: Paul Skenes Last Rookie Cards of 2024
On the flipside, the Pirates would certainly want a fairly decent return for Skenes which may include the likes of Jett Williams as well as several top prospects all throughout the Mets farm system. I highly doubt they’ll part ways with any of their current starters, but it wouldn’t surprise if well-known names that are in the midst of a prolonged struggle are included in the return package.
RELATED: Paul Skenes Reunited with Debut Patch Auto Card
From a collecting perspective, this may be exactly what Paul Skene’s card market needs to take things to the next level. Don’t get me wrong we’ve witnessed some of his sales reach some pretty incredible heights such as his 2024 Topps Gilded Collection Topps Chrome Gold Autograph 1/1 PSA 10 being sold for $29,400 back on March 20th, his 2024 Bowman Chrome Rookie Autograph Superfractor 1/1 PSA 10 being sold for $59,780 back on March 29th and his 2024 Topps Chrome Update MLB Debut Patch Autograph 1/1 PSA 10 (Auto 10) being sold for $1,110,000 also on March 20th.
However, I think that a trade to a contender such as the New York Mets opens the possibility to selling these very same cards and getting a considerable premium to what they had previously sold for. Additionally, there’s a very good chance we could see a similar impact on his raw card market as well, any trade to a contender could certainly enhance his market exponentially (these would include his Topps NOW cards, his Bowman Chrome 1st Autographs, and his Topps Rookie Cards just to name a few).
If a trade of this magnitude to any contender (not just the New York Mets) were to ever actually happen, there’s no doubt that the Paul Skenes card market would see immediate boost. Players like Skenes only come once every few generations, and if he continues to live up to the hype, no matter where he may end up, there’s a good chance his market will continue to be in high demand.
Passionate sports card collector and writer based in Queens, NY. Lifelong fan of the New York Mets, Jets, and Rangers. Covering sports cards and collectibles with deep industry knowledge and enthusiasm, while bringing a fresh perspective to the ever-evolving hobby world on http://SI.com/collectibles.
Follow MJSchilling