
Paul Skenes makes Pirates intentions clear as Yankees rumor swirls
NY Post
Paul Skenes has a message for anyone wondering if he has his sights set on leaving the Pirates.
“The goal is to win, and the goal is to win in Pittsburgh,” Skenes told reporters after he won the National League Cy Young Award on Wednesday.
Skenes was responding to a report from NJ Advance Media in which an unnamed Pirates player is quoted as saying that the superstar pitcher was “hoping for a trade” and that Skenes “wants to play for the Yankees.”
Skenes said that he had seen the report, but “didn’t think much about it” and expressed a desire to be part of the group of Pirates that can help change the perception of the organization outside of Pittsburgh.
“The way that fans see us outside of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh is not supposed to win,” Skenes said. “There are 29 fan bases that expect us to lose. I want to be a part of the 26 guys that change that.”
Skenes has been a bona fide superstar since he made his MLB debut in 2024.

Suddenly, someone had hit a rewind button and everyone had been transported back seven months. It was early spring instead of late fall, it was broiling hot outside the arena walls and not freezing cold. Everyone was back at TD Garden. There were 19,156 frenzied fans on their feet begging for blood, poised for the kill.












