Pirates proposed trade sending Paul Skenes to Dodgers would break MLB

The Pittsburgh Pirates are home to the league’s best pitcher in Paul Skenes, but he is also one of the most frequently placed players in trade rumors.

Bleacher Report writer Joel Reuter suggested a trade that would send Skenes to the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers for a package of players including RHP Emmet Sheehan, OF Andy Pages, C Dalton Rushing, OF Josue De Paula and IF Alex Freeland.

“Unless something changes drastically, like the team is sold to a deep-pocketed owner in the very near future, the Pirates will eventually face the inevitability of losing Paul Skenes to greener pastures,” Reuter wrote.

“With club control through 2029 and his first year of arbitration eligibility still a year away, that’s still a few years down the road. If they are going to inevitably trade him, though, there is no harm in testing the market now to see what sort of franchise-altering offer might be on the table.

“For the Dodgers, it would be a case of the rich getting richer, and Skenes actually lines up nicely with high-priced veterans Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell, as his more expensive free-agency years in a potential extension would line up with those two falling off the books.”

This is a compelling package for Skenes. The Pirates get five players that could all contribute for the big-league club and raise their potential.

However, with Skenes still under team control for the next three seasons, there’s reason to believe the Cy Young award winner could improve his value and fetch even more prospects in a trade or be the leader the Pirates need to break them out of their mediocre cycle.