Overview
- General manager Ben Cherington said at the GM meetings that Paul Skenes will not be traded this offseason.
- He acknowledged clubs keep asking about Skenes but described the inquiries as brief with a consistent no.
- Skenes, 23, led MLB with a 1.97 ERA over 187 2/3 innings in 2025, made the All-Star team, and is viewed as the NL Cy Young favorite.
- Cherington cited added payroll flexibility and identified run scoring as the priority after the Pirates finished last in runs and 29th in wRC+.
- The club views Skenes, who has multiple years of team control, as a cornerstone despite persistent outside speculation and hypothetical blockbuster proposals.