Guardians Floated as Wild Potential Trade Destination for Paul Skenes

The Cleveland Guardians have been named a shocking fringe trade destination for Pittsburgh Pirates superstar pitcher Paul Skenes.

May 18, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) looks on against the Philadelphia Phillies in the ninth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Somehow, Pittsburgh Pirates superstar pitcher Paul Skenes is already being mentioned in trade speculation, and perhaps even more surprising, the Cleveland Guardians have been named as fringe candidates to potentially be in the running for his services.

Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer recently put together a list of possible destinations for Skenes, and while the Guardians certainly weren't at the top of the list, he actually had them among his honorable mentions along with the Minnesota Twins.

"These two prospect-rich franchises are in play for the AL Central title, and both could stand to upgrade their starting rotations," Rymer wrote. "It's the long-term outlook where the Guardians and Twins don't look as good as suitors for Skenes. Both have a history of being risk-averse when it comes to investing in talent, and the Twins have the added complication of being up for sale."

While Rymer curbed his inclusion of Cleveland by stating that the Guardians probably wouldn't want to surrender what it would take to acquire Skenes, something should be noted here: Skenes is under team control through 2030 and isn't even eligible for arbitration until 2027.

Typically, giving up prospects has not been the reason why Cleveland has stayed away from major trades. It has been the money aspect. But that won't be a problem with Skenes in the short term.

There exists a world in which the Guardians could part with multiple elite prospects for Skenes and keep him on the roster for the next five years. And if things don't work out, they could flip him for a massive return sometime down the line.

It may sound wild given Cleveland's history of being super conservative, but it actually isn't out of the realm of possibility.

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