Pirates' Paul Skenes Gets Historic Contract Update Entering Arbitration

The Pittsburgh Pirates find themselves in one of the more interesting positions in Major League Baseball this offseason, with much of the focus on what the organization wants to do with Brandon Lowe. 

With the expected lockout, Lowe and the Pirates, or any other team that signs him, may not get a deal done until everything is figured out. Arbitration hearings will also be different than in years past. 

For the Pirates, that's something they have to consider with right-hander Paul Skenes. Skenes, who is expected to get a major pay jump in arbitration, recently got some good news on a potential contract. 

According to one Pirates insider, he could break the first-year pitcher arbitration salary record Dallas Keuchel set in 2016 at $7.25 million.

“This is an arbitration hearing the entire league will be watching. Skenes, after being paid essentially the league minimum for his first three seasons, is set up to start earning significant money. However, in his first season of arbitration, he will still be on a team-friendly salary.

“Skenes will undoubtedly be tendered a contract. The only question is whether Skenes breaks the first-year pitcher arbitration Dallas Keuchel set at $7.25 million in 2016. Even after a down year, it seems likely that Skenes will,” Colin Beazley wrote.

It would be absolutely shocking to see Skenes not get at least $7.25 million, though if the Pirates try to file a different number than his, there's always a chance things could happen. 

The last thing Pittsburgh should be interested in doing, however, is messing with arguably the greatest pitcher in franchise history and a guy who might go down as one of the best of all time in baseball if he continues on this trajectory. 

Skenes didn't have his best season last year, but he was still well above average and will get paid for what he did the two seasons prior.

The right-hander seems happy in Pittsburgh and messing with that doesn't make sense.

"It's tough. This is my third year and every year at the end, it's, 'What's it going to look like for next year?' I don't love that. I'm kind of tired of it," Skenes said at the end of the season, per SportsNet Pittsburgh.

"We are in a good position for next year. But it's going to be tough to think like that all offseason…I don't think there's anything that needs to be completely overhauled," Skenes added.