In 2023, Paul Skenes was drafted No. 1 overall out of LSU, and what the Pittsburgh Pirates got in 2024 was a phenomenon. While owner Bob Nutting acknowledges Skenes’ ability to elevate the entire roster, he continues to face criticism over his spending priorities and team tactics. With trade rumors swirling around Skenes for months, several speculations were made over time.

Entering June, Nutting’s final stance on Skenes was revealed by MLB insider Bob Nightengale. For the record, the Pirates are expected to be the sellers at this MLB trade deadline. They have certain players who can generate significant interest in the league. And with the deadline around the corner, the Pirates have decided to share their clear stance.

As per Nightengale, the Pirates are willing to hear out offers on every player besides Paul Skenes and Oneil Cruz. Well, fair enough from their viewpoint. Given that these two make untouchable cornerstones for the Pirates’ future.

Skenes has all the makings of a generational talent and someone who can lead the Pirates (22-38) out of their malaise. They’re fresh off another 6-4 loss from the San Diego Padres. And when it comes to Cruz, he’s one of the fastest players who has stolen 30 back-to-back bases without being caught.

So, the ultimatum is that the Pirates are willing to trade anybody from their roster except for Skenes and Cruz.

When they hit the trade deadline, they’re first expected to trade off Bryan Reynolds. He was an All-Star in 2021 and 2024. The two-time All-Star has been on a lot of teams’ radar in the past. Apparently, the Pirates are willing to trade him because the switch-hitter now has his lowest OPS since 2020. And he is right on track to finish less than 20 home runs for the first time in five seasons.

The next name recalled was Pirates’ third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes. He was a Gold Glove winner in 2023. However, his numbers haven’t looked impressive lately. Currently, he sits with a .559 OPS and a slash line of .229/.283/.559 over the last two seasons.

So, as it seems, the only two the Pirates want to hold tight on to for the future are Skenes and Cruz, even if that means certain less valuable players.

Skenes etched his name into history and proved why the Pirates can’t afford to let him go

During Skenes’ latest outing against the Arizona Diamondbacks, he pitched 6 2/3 strong innings and casually passed a benchmark that etched his name with the historic company of baseball’s greatest legends. Any guesses?

It’s Babe Ruth and Dutch Leonard.

Before his 23rd birthday, his career ERA was 2.03. With that, he sits right in between Babe Ruth’s 2.07 and Dutch Leonard’s 1.86 on the list of all-time lowest ERAs by a pitcher under 23. Well, impressive will be an understatement here, no? It’s simply legendary and a huge personal milestone for Skenes.

It’s fair to mention that Skenes is throwing pitches that even Leonard and Ruth could have never imagined. He has surpassed Ruth and ranks just second behind Leonard. That explains why the Pirates wouldn’t trade him.

It’s a perfect modern-day evolution of the game. Skenes’ pitch movement, velocity, and command with his lightning speed make him the kind of pitcher that keeps drawing comparisons to the league icons.

Extending Skenes is less of a question and more of a necessity for the Pirates. However, it doesn’t seem like Skenes would want to be extended. He won’t be hitting free agency till 2029, and naturally, it gives the team three years to make enough additions to build a winning roster around star.