There's been some strange speculation around Major League Baseball that the Pittsburgh Pirates could move on from right-hander Paul Skenes.
I'm here to say that if the Pirates ever moved on from Skenes, it'd likely be one of the worst trades in Major League Baseball history.
Not only is Skenes arguably the best starter in the league, but he's not even arbitration eligible until 2027 and doesn't hit free agency until 2030.
Considering he's only 23 years old, if the Pirates ever moved on from Skenes now, they should be forced to sell the team.
However, that doesn't mean the Pirates won't go out and make some other moves. According to a USA Today insider Bob Nightengale, Mitch Keller is a trade candidate this winter.
“Pittsburgh Pirates starter Mitch Keller: You can’t have Paul Skenes, but Mitch Keller, who was in trade talks last summer with the Chicago Cubs, is more than available. He still has three more years left on his deal that pays him $15.9 million in 2026, $18.4 million in 2027 and $20.4 million in 2028. And the Pirates love nothing more than saving money,” he wrote.
It's been known that Keller could be dealt over the past year or so, but the Pirates have yet to do so.
He was decent in 2025, posting a 4.19 ERA. With a career 4.51 ERA, Keller struggled a bit early on throughout his first three years in Major League Baseball, but he’s figured some things out.
It remains uncertain what the Pirates would get back in a deal for someone of Keller's caliber.
He's a free agent in 2029, so he’ll go to any team with multiple years of control.
However, considering the Pirates aren't really in a position to bring back Major League talent because Major League for Major League trades are rare, the team will likely have to go the prospect route.
With some of the other young talent in Pittsburgh, I understand the idea of moving on from Keller. As long as the Pirates don't move on from Skenes, which Nightengale said definitely won't happen, and teams shouldn't even bother calling, I think they'll be fine this winter.
“No. And no. The Pirates won’t even listen to trade proposals for Skenes, so don’t bother calling.”