The offseason typically brings out some crazy hypothetical trade proposals. Sometimes those trade ideas involve players who are not even believed to be on the trade block, and every once in awhile we get suggestions that involve a player that pretty much has zero chance of getting moved. The latter scenario is exactly what Atlanta Braves fans got over the weekend when Fox Sports listed the Braves as one of the best fits for Pirates star Paul Skenes.
Skenes followed up his impressive 2024 NL Rookie of the Year campaign with an even more dominant 2025 season. On Wednesday, Skenes saw that dominance culminate in his first NL Cy Young award. Skenes was perhaps the only redeeming quality on the Pittsburgh Pirates last season, and with the organization's long track record of losing, many feel as if Skenes time in the steel city will be short-lived.
For those reasons, Fox Sports released an article detailing which teams would be the best fit to acquire Skenes in a trade, despite not having a chance at free agency until the 2030 season. As mouthwatering as it is to picture Skenes in a Braves uniform, the Pirates trading their generational pitcher and the 2023 top overall pick is simply not going to happen anytime soon.
Trading for Skenes is nice to dream about, but Braves fans shouldn't even fool themselves into thinking it's possible
For a long time, baseball fans have seen how frugal the ownership in Pittsburgh can be. Developing star players has been a challenge for the Pirates in the 21st century, and paying them has been another obstacle in itself. Skenes is the best player to wear a Pirates jersey in quite some time, and dominant pitching always gets paid in free agency.
Skenes will probably set some kind of record setting contract when he becomes a free agent in four years, but until then, the Pirates have the chance to build an actual winning roster around him. Expect Pittsburgh to at least try to develop some real pieces around Skenes (or say they are trying), before they feel any pressure to trade away the reigning NL Cy Young winner.
While trading for good pitching seems more up Alex Anthopoulos' alley, the Braves don't have anyone in their farm system valuable enough to headline a Skenes trade package. Because a Skenes trade probably won't be on the table for at least another couple years, the Braves will have to pivot elsewhere for starting pitching help this winter. However, if they want to swing big the AL Cy Young winner actually could be available this offseason.