Pittsburgh Pirates pitching ace Paul Skenes could be the best starter in all of baseball. He has the highest WAR of any pitcher, a sub-2.00 ERA, and likely has the upper hand at winning the NL Cy Young Award this season.
But Skenes plays for one of the more downtrodden franchises in the MLB, and has a record of just 4-7 despite his dominance early on in his career.
Detroit Tigers Could Be In Position To Offer Trade For Paul Skenes
Given their current trajectory and third-worst record in the National League, there have been rumors that the Pirates could trade Skenes at his ultimate and highest value. He would likely garner a king’s ransom in return if Pittsburgh were to make him available on the open market, and it could be the Detroit Tigers that are most interested in his services.
Paul Skenes struck out 10 across five shutout innings, as the Pirates lost 1-0. pic.twitter.com/kyi9dhwH6X
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) July 6, 2025
As of July 8th, the Tigers have the best record in baseball. They are 58-34 through their first 92 games, and have overtaken both the New York Yankees and Houston Astros when it comes to the lowest odds of winning the AL pennant. They haven’t won a World Series since 1984, and will likely be looking to capitalize on their current success at the upcoming trade deadline.
Why The Tigers Should Take The Risk
Could Paul Skenes be a part of their plan? The Tigers already have an ace in place in Tarik Skubal, who is one of the only pitchers in the MLB that is posting numbers comparable to the ones that the Pirates’ flamethrower is putting up. Pairing them at the top of the rotation would give Detroit one of the more terrifying postseason pitching duos that we have ever seen, and their odds of challenging the LA Dodgers for a title would likely drop if Skenes were acquired.
They have the firepower and assets that could get a deal done. The Tigers are widely regarded as having the best and most loaded farm system in the majors, with some of the top prospects in the game under their control.
Paul Skenes has 1 win in his last 13 starts. With a 1.72 ERA. That seems made up.
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) July 6, 2025
In exchange for Skenes, Detroit could send two of the 12 best prospects in the game to the Pirates, and still have one of the better farm systems in the American League. Having the chance of competing for a championship while having one of the brightest futures is certainly a rare occurrence, and don’t be surprised to see the Tigers take full advantage.
In his 19 appearances so far in 2025, Skenes has pitched 116 innings. He has posted a 1.94 ERA, and is allowing 0.4 home runs per 9 innings pitched. He ranks 4th in the National League in total strikeouts.
