Few players in recent memory have ascended to stardom as rapidly as Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes. The former No. 1 overall pick rocketed through the minor leagues, seizing the Rookie of the Year title and emerging as a strong contender for the Cy Young Award—all in his first full MLB season.
Yet despite his individual brilliance, the Pirates have stumbled to a disappointing 17-33 record. That disparity has sparked speculation that Pittsburgh could consider trading their prized arm to accelerate a rebuild.
One team floated in those conversations? The Chicago Cubs, a divisional rival. In a hypothetical scenario shared by the B/R Walkoff account, the Cubs land Skenes in exchange for a massive haul of young talent: 3B Matt Shaw (Cubs’ No. 1 prospect), RHP Cade Horton (No. 2), and OF Owen Caissie (No. 4).
A Dream Move for Chicago
From the Cubs’ perspective, it’s easy to see why they’d pull the trigger. Their rotation is in desperate need of a frontline ace—something they haven’t truly had since Jake Arrieta’s Cy Young peak. Adding Skenes would instantly reshape their pitching staff and postseason hopes.
Of course, the trade remains purely speculative. But the logic is sound: the Pirates, one of MLB’s least successful teams over the past decade, landed Skenes because of their cellar-dwelling status in the draft. Trading him could yield a massive return of young, controllable talent to build a stronger foundation.
Is Pittsburgh Ready to Listen?
While the odds of the Pirates trading Skenes are slim, the Cubs make for a logical partner should Pittsburgh entertain offers. Despite the intradivision dynamic, if Chicago presented the strongest offer, it wouldn’t make sense for Pittsburgh to pass it up based solely on rivalry.
Chicago boasts one of baseball’s top farm systems, giving them the kind of prospect depth required to make a deal of this magnitude possible.
A Soto-Like Blueprint?
The closest precedent to a Skenes deal might be the 2022 blockbuster that sent Juan Soto to the Padres. That trade returned a bounty of top prospects to Washington, including CJ Abrams and James Wood, and jumpstarted the Nationals’ rebuild.
While pitchers typically don’t command the same return as everyday stars, Skenes’ team control and performance could push his value into similar territory.
Long Shot, but Intriguing
Even if the Cubs’ chances of landing Skenes remain remote, the scenario highlights just how valuable he is—and how desperate Pittsburgh may be to capitalize on that value in a broader rebuilding context.
A move like this would shake up the NL Central and potentially set both franchises on drastically different paths moving forward.
