Inside The Mets

ESPN makes compelling Mets trade proposal for Paul Skenes

Is this what the New York Mets would need to give up in a trade for Paul Skenes?
Grant Young|
Jun 3, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) reacts after recording a strike-out against the Houston Astros during the fourth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Jun 3, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) reacts after recording a strike-out against the Houston Astros during the fourth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

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The one pitcher who might have the highest trade value in all of baseball right now is Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes.

Not only does Skenes boast a sterling 1.94 ERA and 125 strikeouts in 116 innings pitched this season, but this is essentially right on par with his career 1.95 ERA. And the fact that he's still just 23 years old and playing for a small-market team (that could get a franchise-altering haul in return for such a young and talented pitcher) makes it somewhat hard to assess just how much another team would have to part with in order to acquire Skenes.

Not that it matters, as the Pirates' front office has said time and time again that Skenes is not available for a trade right now, no matter what other teams offer for him. But that didn't keep ESPN writer David Schoenfield from cooking up a hypothetical New York Mets trade proposal for Skenes in a July 8 article.

"New York Mets offer SS/CF Jett Williams (No. 20), RHP Jonah Tong (No. 50), RHP Nolan McLean, IF Ronny Mauricio, OF Carson Benge," Schoenfield wrote.

He later added, "As much as the Mets could use a staff ace, their system is deeper in pitching prospects, which doesn't best align with the Pirates' needs."

Read more: Insider hints at major Mets trade deadline move in coming days

As great as Skenes is, that proposed haul of Williams, Tong, McLean, Mauricio, and Benge would be a lot to ask of the Mets' front office. Perhaps it's for the best that Pittsburgh isn't open to trading Skenes (at least not yet), because giving up these prospects might be a bit too much for Mets fans to stomach.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Mets and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.

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