Yankees Tried to Trade Top Prospect for Paul Skenes

The New York Yankees went to extreme lengths in order to try and convince the Pittsburgh Pirates to trade them ace Paul Skenes at this year's deadline.

According to the New York Post's Jon Heyman, the Yankees were willing to send top position player prospects Spencer Jones and George Lombard Jr. to Pittsburgh if it meant acquiring perhaps the league's top starting pitcher in Skenes. Talks between the two sides, however, didn't gain any traction.

Feb 22, 2025; Dunedin, Florida, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Spencer Jones (78) hits a home run during the sixth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at TD Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

"The Yankees were one of only a handful of teams (fewer than five) that checked in on Paul Skenes even after word was out that the Pirates had no intention of trading the Cy Young leader," Heyman wrote.

"That was the one case where the Yankees were willing to discuss Spencer Jones and George Lombard Jr. But talks went nowhere."

Unsurprisingly, Pittsburgh never had any intentions of parting ways with its generational talent. Skenes is the runaway favorite to win the NL Cy Young Award this year with a 1.92 ERA, 2.52 FIP and 203 strikeouts across 30 starts totaling 178 innings.

The reigning NL Rookie of the Year has been one of the lone bright spots for a Pirates club that has seen its playoff drought grow to 10 seasons while sitting in last place in the NL Central with a 64-83 record. Even so, the organization is rightfully focused on building a competitive team around Skenes instead of trading the 23-year-old for a massive haul.

Sep 10, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes (30) throws during the first inning against Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Heyman stated ahead of the deadline that the Yankees would only consider dealing away Jones if it meant they would land Skenes, and his follow-up report certainly lends credence to that notion.

The 24-year-old, who is currently ranked as the No. 87 prospect in the league by MLB Pipeline, has slashed .271/.358/.567 with 33 home runs across a combined 409 at-bats between Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Double-A Somerset this season.

Lombard Jr., a 20-year-old infielder, is Pipeline's No. 24 overall farmhand while batting .236/.368/.383 with nine homers, 48 RBIs and 33 stolen bases over 129 contests between Somerset and High-A Hudson Valley.

New York didn't ultimately acquire a starting pitcher at the deadline, instead opting to retool its bullpen while adding several ancillary pieces on offense alongside third baseman Ryan McMahon.

Skenes will likely remain off-limits for the foreseeable future, as he isn't set to reach free agency until after the 2029 campaign, but it's interesting nonetheless to see the Yankees were willing to pay a hefty price for a player of his caliber.

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