One team that couldn’t seem to get it together this season, despite having the talent and opportunities, was the Pirates. And of course, when you talk about the Pirates, Paul Skenes is the first name that comes to mind. But beyond him, Spencer Horwitz was one of the rare bright spots on offense, leading the team with a .787 OPS. Still, the results weren’t there.

After back-to-back 76-86 seasons, the Pirates actually slipped backward in 2025, finishing with a 71-91 record. And with owner Bob Nutting still unwilling to spend on the roster and trade rumors swirling around Skenes, it’s easy to overlook that he might’ve already taken a subtle shot at the team’s approach just last month.

Skenes was asked about the Pirates’ strong pipeline from their farm system. “Yeah, but we thought that coming into this year, too,” Skenes responded.

Reportedly, back in August, Baseball America had the Pirates’ farm system ranked as the second-best in baseball. That’s right behind the Brewers. Milwaukee had six top-100 prospects on the list. And Pittsburgh had four: Konnor Griffin, Seth Hernandez, Bubba Chandler, and Edward Florentino.

Then, Chandler was on the verge of making his debut. And the other three were still a bit away from the big leagues. Fast forward to the end of the season, though, and aside from Chandler, none of those prospects actually saw the majors. That alone could be a pretty good reason for Skenes to feel frustrated with the ownership’s lack of urgency in developing their own talent.

Well, for small-market teams like Pittsburgh, the timing of when you spend is everything. And right now is the cheapest window they’ll ever have with Skenes anchoring the rotation. The clock’s already ticking, and every year they put things off for “next season” is another year wasted with the ace they drafted to turn things around. That’s why Skenes’ comments hit so hard.

Paul Skenes’ trade would be the worst for the Pirates

Amid the fans’ calls to sell the team, and Skenes seemingly frustrated with how the Pirates’ front office is working, fans should brace for the worst.

Previously, Pirates GM Ben Cherington made it very clear that trading Paul Skenes at the July deadline wasn’t on the table. But that didn’t stop teams from asking. The Yankees, for instance, reportedly tried to make a deal for the reigning NL Rookie of the Year. And Jon Heyman of The New York Post said they were even willing to part with some of their top prospects.

As for Skenes’ 2025 season, it was another spectacular year. The 23-year-old finished with a 1.97 ERA, a 0.948 WHIP, and 216 SOs over 187.2 innings in 32 starts. Tim Britton of The Athletic even projected that he could command a contract worth $44 million per year in the future.

The problem? Knowing how the Pirates operate, it’s unlikely they’ll be willing to invest that kind of money in him. So, if the team can’t make meaningful improvements by next season, fans might need to brace themselves for the worst… Skenes’ parting ways with Pittsburgh.