Paul Skenes Trade Rumors Shut Down By Pirates GM, Deal 'Not Part of the Conversation'

Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington confirmed that the team isn't interested in trading star pitcher Paul Skenes.

"No, it's not part of the conversation at all," Cherington said Thursday, via the Associated Press (h/t ESPN).

Jon Heyman of the New York Post previously revealed that a source told him there was "no chance" Pittsburgh explores a swap involving Skenes during the 2025 season.

The Pirates have struggled to open the year, sitting at last place in the National League Central standings with a 17-33 record while owning the fifth-worst run differential in the majors.

Pittsburgh fired manager Derek Shelton on May 8.

Skenes' play has been a silver lining for the Pirates, as he's remained sharp on the mound following a 2024 season in which he earned NL Rookie of the Year honors and finished No. 3 in Cy Young Award voting.

In 10 starts this season, Skenes has posted a 2.44 ERA and 0.941 WHIP despite owning a mere 3-5 record. He's also racked up 62 strikeouts compared to 16 walks in 62.2 innings of work.

Skenes is still under team control until 2029, but his long-term future could be outside of Pittsburgh if an extension agreement isn't reached.

The right-hander should command a hefty price on a future extension, which may be an issue for a Pirates squad that ranks No. 27 in total payroll allocations this season (via Spotrac).

Brian Reynolds' eight-year, $106.75 million contract is the largest deal that Pittsburgh has ever given out, but Skenes should easily surpass that value on his eventual extension if he maintains his current level of play.

Still, the Pirates don't seem to be entertaining the idea of moving on from him at any point this season.