The LSU product came into this season recording a sensational rookie season. There was absolutely no slump for the Pirates ace; he just lived up to the hype after his incredible rookie run. Despite the team finishing with a losing record for the seventh straight season, Paul Skenes remained a standout silver lining. After all, the 2023 No. 1 overall pick followed his Rookie of the Year win in 2024 by unanimously claiming his first NL Cy Young. With the Pirates–Skenes talk dominating headlines, Pat McAfee’s ESPN College GameDay monologue didn’t exactly hit the mark.

While he was highlighting the Pirates’ season and their long history, chants erupted in unison almost instantly: “SELL THE TEAM! SELL THE TEAM! SELL THE TEAM!” from the Pittsburgh nation.

Apparently, McAfee went on to say, “That’s a damn good sports town and you’d be in right now and it’s not just a sports town, even though we got the history in abundance. We even have baseball history; Paul Skenes just won the Cy Young. He’s the best player in baseball. That’s it…….”

That’s when the “SELL THE TEAM” chants erupted. While McAfee did take notice, he didn’t let it interrupt his monologue.

He continued, “Although the team might be putting a— in glass right now, the history of the Pirates and Curb Street tells these people about the Pittsburgh Pirates and the influence they have on the entire sport of baseball.”

Well, Skenes’ 1.97 ERA was only a hair above last season’s 1.96, but it still ended up being one of the best by any Pirates starter with 140+ innings since 1916.

In the middle of all Skenes’ personal accolades, criticism toward Bob Nutting hasn’t slowed down. Nutting’s tight approach to payroll has kept the team stuck near the bottom of the league year after year.

And with a 2025 payroll of just $84.4 million (27th in MLB) and no real history of spending big, even a generational talent like Skenes, fresh off a 1.97 ERA and 216 strikeouts, can’t realistically expect the front office to bring in the pieces needed to truly compete.

It’s almost insane that the Pirates have had only four winning seasons and three playoff appearances since Barry Bonds.

For the record, as it seems, Skenes will still be a Pirate in 2026. However, without a real payroll investment or a winning environment, keeping a star pitcher satisfied is going to be tough.

The Braves reportedly enter the mix for Paul Skenes

If there’s any truth to the idea that the Pirates might actually consider moving Paul Skenes, there are only a handful of teams that could realistically pull off a deal. Let’s just say, the Braves are one of them.

As Atlanta looks to get back to being one of MLB’s top teams, adding someone like Skenes would be a massive boost. In fact, FOX Sports recently listed the Braves as one of the best fits for the young right-hander.

They also pointed out that even if Atlanta worries about his long-term price tag, they’d still have him under control for five years before needing to make a major decision.

Any team hoping to land Skenes needs to meet three key criteria. First, a strong roster he could elevate, a solid farm system, and then a proven track record of developing young talent.

The Braves check all three boxes.

After missing the playoffs for the first time in eight years and still searching for their first postseason series win since the 2021 World Series, Atlanta should feel a real sense of urgency to get things back on track.

In the worst-case scenario, if Skenes’ future price tag becomes too steep, the Braves would still have five full years of team control to maximize his value.

The big question with any potential Skenes trade is whether a team actually has enough to acquire the best young starter in baseball. Not to forget, the 23-year-old holds five full years of control.

For the Braves, or anyone else around the league, the reality is the same. There’s no realistic path to landing him, even if Pittsburgh eventually puts him on the market.