The Boston Red Sox are four games behind the New York Yankees in the American League East. They could try to make a successful trade to help overcome their rival.
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Recently, during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” MLB pundit Jeff Passan suggested that the Pittsburgh Pirates trade young superstar Paul Skenes.
“If they think they have absolutely no chance of signing him, then they should trade him,” Passan said. “And you can argue that they should redeem it now.”
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“What incentive does Paul Skenes have to extend with the Pirates? The Pirates haven’t shown the will, from Bob Nutting all the way down, or the ability to bring in guys that will make this team better,” Passan continued.
If the Pirates consider trading Skenes, there will be no shortage of teams willing to give up a haul to get it. Jim Riley proposed this exchange that would bring Skenes to Boston:
Red Sox receive: Paul Skenes
The Pirates receive: Marcelo Mayer (MLB No. 8 prospect), Franklin Arias (MLB No. 57 prospect), Luis Perales (Red Sox No. 4 prospect) and Brayan Bello
The Red Sox would be giving up a spoils, but it may be worth it for Skenes. He’s already one of the best pitchers in baseball. He was an All-Star last season and was also named NL Rookie of the Year.
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He has a 2.63 ERA this season with 53 strikeouts this season. Last year he had a 1.96 ERA in 23 starts. As much as the Pirates would like to keep him, they haven’t given him much reason to stay until now. When he hits free agency in 2030, the likelihood of him going to a big contender on the market is high.
Changing it now would give them young prospects to remain competitive in the years to come. The Washington Nationals made a similar move with Juan Soto when he was years away from free agency. That trade is now paying dividends with James Wood, C.J. Abrams and MacKenzie Gore.