Jack's Take: Pittsburgh Pirates Wasting Paul Skenes' Prime For No Good Reason

While watching Pirates ace Paul Skenes toss six innings with one earned run and six strikeouts in Monday's 10-3 win over the Nationals, some questions came to mind.

First, a few in awe. How does anyone get a hit off the 6-foot-6 righty whose fastball touches 100 miles per hour and whose breaking balls move from one corner to the other? Barring injuries, it's not crazy to think the 22-year-old is headed to the Hall of Fame, right? A third place Cy Young finish as a rookie with a 1.96 ERA in 133 innings in 2024 is certainly a good place to start.

The questions that followed weren't fun to consider if you're a Pirates fans or anyone who cares about the league-wide health of Major League Baseball. For a team that ranks 26th in payroll – $87,645,246 in 2025, per USA Today – will the Pirates ever be willing to pay the hefty price tag required to keep Skenes in Pittsburgh long-term? If not, why?

History under owner Bob Nutting suggests they won't, and only he and the front office can explain that. But before getting upset about Skenes pitching elsewhere down the road, consider the short term. Skenes is under team control through 2029. Why aren't the Pirates taking advantage of having arguably the best pitcher in MLB and trying to win? Why did they only spend $19,950,000 on free agents this past offseason after finishing last in the NL Central at 76-86 in 2024?

Sure, the Pirates didn't rake in $728 million in revenue like the Yankees in 2024, per Forbes, rather it was $326 million. But to only spend about $87 million on payroll in 2025 despite having an all-time talent is a disservice to everyone involved. It also doesn't have to be this way.

The Arizona Diamondbacks brought in a similar $328 million in revenue in 2024, per Forbes, and rank 11th in payroll at just over $195 million. They also just signed free agent ace Corbin Burnes to a six-year, $210 million contract in the offseason.

So why does it matter if the Pirates aren't willing to pay Skenes? Start from the fan perspective. If Pirates fans sense ownership isn't committed to building a winning product, reasons to support the team consistently dwindle. That's unfortunate for fans, and it hurts the organization if they stop showing up to PNC Park, a great stadium.

It's also unfair to the players and coaches. The Pirates have young hitting talent like Oneil Cruz, Joey Bart and Ke'Bryan Hayes, as well as pitcher Jared Jones, who's currently injured but had a strong rookie season. Pitching prospect Bubba Chandler is also the No. 14 prospect overall, per MLB Pipeline, and the Pirates have three other top-100 prospects. Skenes is the perfect player to build around, so why aren't the Pirates doing everything they can to win?

And for MLB overall, it's disappointing and unhealthy to see teams operate without desire to compete for championships. Yes, situations exist where it's smart to rebuild and cut back on spending for a brief period, but that's not what the Pirates are doing. They're consistently near the bottom in payroll, and they haven't made the playoffs since 2015.

The Pirates had an ace back then too, Gerrit Cole – who has since been one of the game's best pitchers – but traded him for Joe Musgrove, Colin Moran, Michael Feliz and Jason Martin, none of whom are still with the team. Only one, Musgrove, is still in MLB.

The situations are a bit different because Cole was an All-Star in 2015, then regressed the next two seasons, only to improve after he left Pittsburgh. But it's an even easier decision to make now (hint: keep him) because the Pirates know what they have with Skenes, a surefire Cy Young winner and potential Hall of Fame pitcher. It's a stain on baseball that they're not trying to win with him – and may never.

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