With the No. 1 pick in the 2023 MLB Entry Draft, the Pittsburgh Pirates selected LSU star pitcher, Paul Skenes. There was a lot of excitement surrounding the pick, as Paul Skenes was regarded as one of the best pitching prospects the game has seen in a long time.
That is a lot of pressure for a young player to have on their shoulders. But, at the start of his professional career, Paul Skenes has met and exceeded those expectations.
Through his first eight starts with the Pittsburgh Pirates, he has been difficult to beat. He has surrendered three runs in two starts but allowed two or fewer in his other five. That includes two shutout appearances against the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals in which he pitched 6.0 and 6.1 innings.
With only 32 hits and seven walks allowed in 39.1 innings, Paul Skenes has registered an impressive 2.29 ERA to this point. He has added 53 strikeouts, as his vaunted splinker pitch is leaving batters in the dust.
While it is still very early in his career, there are some people already discussing what kind of contract the Pittsburgh Pirates could work out with their young star. Teams have been attempting to sign players to avoid arbitration more often, and the Buccos could look to go that route as well.
If that is the route the organization opts to take, ownership will have to open up their checkbooks. It isn’t something that the Pittsburgh Pirates have done very often, but Paul Skenes is worth it.
According to Spotrac MLB contracts expert Dan Soemann on “The Spotrac Podcast,” Paul Skenes should receive an offer that is 80-100 percent of what the Atlanta Braves signed Spencer Strider to last season.
Strider signed a six-year, $73 million deal, that goes up to seven for $93 with a team option. That means Paul Skenes could receive an offer of $120-150 million from the Pittsburgh Pirates pre-arbitration, which would be a groundbreaking total. (H/T Heavy)
The notoriously frugal Pittsburgh Pirates are going to have to spend some money to keep this core in place. They have shown more of a willingness in recent years, agreeing to long-term deals with Ke’Bryan Hayes, Bryan Reynolds and Mitch Keller.
With this group showing they can win some games, ownership should be more willing to open up the checkbook to keep the group intact. Paul Skenes is a major part of that core and is on pace to shatter previous contract records.
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