The Pittsburgh Pirates are building their team around former No. 1 overall pick Paul Skenes, who has been incredible ever since he stepped foot in the clubhouse.
Skenes has been nothing short of the Pirates’
best pitcher and one of the best arms in the entire league. The Athletic’s Stephen J. Nesbitt wrote about how critical this offseason will be in regards to Skenes’ future with the team.
“With soon-to-be Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes now four seasons from free agency, this is the time for owner Bob Nutting to push as many chips as he has to the center of the table to ensure he won’t waste any more years of the ace’s healthy and controllable prime,” Nesbitt wrote.
“Will the Pirates finally sign a free agent to a multiyear deal? Or will they trade pitching to improve a woeful lineup? They clearly can’t run it back, but they also haven’t yet shown a willingness to act with urgency to chart a new course. The fate of the Skenes era is in the hands of an owner who has historically been unwilling to spend.”
Nothing has suggested that the Pirates will do much around Skenes. Andrew McCutchen and Tommy Pham are veteran free agents that could be re-signed, but neither are a guarantee to return. The Pirates could bring them back or replace them with veteran clones that won’t be at their offensive peak.
Ultimately, the Pirates have a chance to change the narrative this offseason. If they do, there may actually be some buzz in the city about its baseball team.
