MLB is Lucky Yankees–Paul Skenes Blockbuster Never Happened

One thing that is good about the beginning of the Major League Baseball season is the fact that it's one of the quietest times in the league calendar when it comes to trade rumors.

That's not to say trade rumors aren't fun. It's a part of the business. There are always going to be teams that are buyers and willing to trade prospects away to add talent with the hope of winning now. Then, there will be teams willing to trade away their talented players for financial reasons or simply because they have no shot at winning a title, so why not build for the future?

We saw perfect examples of this throughout the offseason. The St. Louis Cardinals traded away four different All-Stars in Brendan Donovan, Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray. In comparison, the Boston Red Sox were among the most active teams in the league on the other hand. The Red Sox acquired Contreras, Gray, Johan Oviedo and Caleb Durbin, among others in the trade market.

There are always going to be more rumors than actual deals done. It's much harder to make a trade than it is to talk about one, for example. With the 2026 season now in full swing, details from offseason trade rumors have started to come in. One guy who was the subject of some noise during the offseason was Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes. Specifically, chatter picked up saying Skenes wants to play for the New York Yankees.

A Paul Skenes would be bad for baseball right now

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes (30) is shown as he walks back to the dugout after being pulled in the first inning, Thursday, March 26, 2026. | Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

No trade happened, though, of course. That would've been ridiculous, right? Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that the Yankees actually were prepared to offer four top prospects to bring Skenes to town.

"Sources say the Yankees were prepared to offer four top prospects last July,” Heyman wrote. “It isn’t clear who those were, but as of the deadline, their best prospect package might have included some combination of Cam Schlittler (who’s now establishing himself as a potential ace), George Lombard Jr., Spencer Jones and Carlos Lagrange, or possibly others.

“Schlittler and Ben Rice are the young players most coveted by other teams, and in at least all other instances, the Yankees have been super protective of them.”

Heyman noted that the Pirates have "no intention" to trade Skenes right now, but this is going to be the biggest trade story to follow across Major League Baseball over the course of the 2026 season. Heyman noted that while the Pirates aren't going to trade him right now, the Yankees are expected to circle back if there is ever a "glimmer."

The Yankees have shocked the baseball world before with a big trade. Remember Juan Soto, for example?

If the Yankees could've pulled off a deal like this for Skenes it would've been significantly bigger. And on top of that, it arguably would've been a bad sign for the small-market teams out there across the league. Skenes is a superstar.

There's no denying that. But let's not forget that he's in just his third big league season and is under team control through the 2029 season. If a small-market team like Pittsburgh can find a guy like Skenes only to get rid of him just a few years later, it's bad for the parity of the sport. Plus, the Pirates look better on paper in general right now.

The Pirates have made the right call so far not moving him. But this idea that Skenes is already expected to move on years ahead of time is a bad look. So, while the Yankees may have been willing to pay a big price, the Pirates have made the right call so far.