The New York Yankees took a big swing ahead of Thursday’s MLB trade deadline.
The Yankees asked the Pittsburgh Pirates about a trade for Paul Skenes and were even willing to include top outfield prospect Spencer Jones in a package for the ace pitcher. The Pirates, however, were completely unwilling to discuss Skenes in any deals, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
Teams with good/great pieces consistently ask the Yankees about top OF prospect Spencer Jones . The Yankees are consistent on this too: They will only trade Jones (and others in package) for Paul Skenes, who’s not available and not going anywhere.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 31, 2025
Obviously, it cannot hurt the Yankees to ask about Skenes, who is one of the best pitchers in baseball already. It also makes sense for the Pirates to shut those talks down, as Skenes does not even become eligible for arbitration until 2027.
The Pirates are known for trading star players before they get too expensive, but Skenes is over a year away from his salary beginning to rise. The team wants to build around Skenes, and trading the former No. 1 pick would likely cause fan interest to crater.
Skenes has a 1.89 ERA in his first 45 MLB starts. If the Pirates traded him, he would be the most coveted player in the entire sport. The Yankees are not the only team that would be willing to sell the farm for him, but it just is not happening.
