Pittsburgh Pirates Reportedly Discussing Possible Paul Skenes Contract Extension

Even though Paul Skenes won't be a free agent until the end of the 2029 season, the Pittsburgh Pirates seem intent on getting a head start on negotiations.

Denver, Colorado, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) reacts at the end of the fifth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Before he even reached the big leagues, Paul Skenes was held up as the face of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The former No. 1 overall pick hasn't disappointed over the past two seasons, either, establishing himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball. And while the Pirates have club control of the 23-year-old ace through the end of the 2029 campaign, they don't appear to be resting on their laurels when it comes to keeping him in Pittsburgh long-term.

93.7 The Fan's Dan Zangrilli went on Monday's episode of "The PM Team" to talk about the Pirates' weekend series against the Colorado Rockies and their moves at the trade deadline. Co-host Andrew Fillipponi asked Zangrilli if the Pirates, as has been rumored, have tried to "make some headway" on a contract extension with Skenes.

Zangrilli replied with a simple yes before going deeper into what those negotiations have looked like.

"Well, I think that they look at it as a long-shot, an uphill battle," Zangrilli said. "But that's not gonna deter them from trying."

Andrew mentioned a rumor that he heard about attempts to do this [extend Skenes]. My response: “Yes.” In that I’ve heard the same. Though, I immediately acknowledged the steep, uphill battle it would be. Full interview and responses can be heard here:https://t.co/HQU1NjICwO https://t.co/lNYu6jj20C

— Dan Zangrilli (@DanZangrilli) August 4, 2025

According to Zangrilli, whatever extension the Pirates could give to Skenes would have to be "creative," on top of overpaying him in the short term. Pittsburgh's front office remains "gun-shy" about committing a massive overall number to the young righty, but guaranteeing salaries for his four remaining years of control – plus one bonus season – could be the middle ground.

The Pirates traded away third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes, closer David Bednar, starting pitcher Bailey Falter and reliever Caleb Ferguson just last week, which leaves money on the table that could go into Skenes' pocket.

"With the money that they've presumably freed up, maybe that is allocated to try to extend this window," Zangrilli said. "Because everybody's talking about this timeline, well maybe if they can push the finish line back on this, then that might be money well-spent."

Zangrilli also noted that center fielder Oneil Cruz is playing himself into a big-time extension of his own, which could play into how much the Pirates are willing to set aside for Skenes.

Skenes is 6-8 with a 2.02 ERA, 0.920 WHIP, 10.0 strikeouts per nine innings and a 5.4 WAR through 23 starts this season. He won NL Rookie of the Year and placed third in NL Cy Young voting in 2024.

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