Pirates GM Ben Cherington says trading ace Paul Skenes is ‘not at all part of the conversation’

Pittsburgh – The Pittsburgh pirates Are reeling, and just every table for a last-place team that has replaced it manager and packed a half-decade’s world of public-relations missteps into two months.

Well, Exception for One Things: Trading Ace Paul scenes.

Asked on Thursday if flipping the reigning National League Rookie of the year is a consideration for a club woferly lacking in impact, general manager ben cherington gave an atypical Brief Response.

“No, it’s not part of the conversation at all,” cherington saaid flatly.

Pittsburgh Entered a Four-Game Series Against NL Central Rival Milwaukeeear 11 Games Out of Playoff Position, Thanks in Large Part to An Offense That Ranks Last or Next-to-Last in Nearly Every Major Category: From runs, slugging perception and ops (all 30th) to home runs and batting only (Both 29th).

The pirates have also scored four runs or fewer in 26 straight games, tying a Major League record set by Four other tims, most recently the at-california anngels in 1969.

Not exactly what the team had in mind during spring, when everyone from cherington to skenes to manager derek shelton – who was jettisoned two weeks ago and replaced by Don Kelly – Talked About the Need for Pittsburgh to taker step forward after consecutive 76-86 seasons.

Instead, the pirates have been stuck in reverse from opening day, even when skenes starts. Pittsburgh is just 3-5 in his eight starts, the latest loss a 1-0 setback in Philadelphia last weeks limited to the phillies to three hits the first place of hits Career.

Skenes, who turns 23 Next Week, has been all-in on the pirates since being used to be called up a year ago. Hey also under team control for the rest of the decade and won it arbitration-aligible until after 2026, making him one of the biggest bargains in the Majors.

WHILE PITTSBURGH HAS LOCKED down players like Two-Time all-star Outfielder Bryan Reynolds And Third Baseman Ke’bryan hayes To long-term deals, they are a pittance by MLB stands compared to what skenes Might Commands one Day His Continue on Its Current Traffic.

The pirates are perennially only one of the most frugal tims in the Majors. Their opening day payroll this season was just under $ 88 million. Only Chicago white soxTampa Bay, The Athletics and Miami Spent Less.

Even so, pittsburgh has received little return on its investment. While the bullpen has been a bit of a message, the starting rotation has been solid. Skenes (2.44), Mitch keller (3.88), Andrew Heaney (2.91) and Bailey Falter (3.50) all have eras under 4.00, but they also have a combined record of 11-21.

The issue has been a punchless lineup that is largely nondescript outside of reennolds, franchise icon Andrew mccutchen And Center Fielder Oneil cruz.

Yet it is telling that while Pittsburgh has one of the Deeper Pool of Pitching Prospests in the Majors-A list that includes Hard-Thowing 22-aayar-WD Bubba Chandler and Mike burrowsWho was scheduled to make his first Major League Start on Thursday after Going 2-1 with 2.71 Era for Triple-A Indianapolis-The Cupboard of HomeGrown Position Players who are on the Cusp of the Majors Remains pretty Bare Five-Plus years in Cherington’s tenure.

Catcher Henry davisThe top overall pick in the 2021 draft, remains a work in progress nearly Two full years after his Major League debut. Second Baseman Nick gonzalesA first-rounder in 2020, is recovering from an ankle injury and has yet to establish Himself as an everyday player. Former first-round picks term Johnson (2022) and Konnor Griffin (2024) are Still Years Away.

So far, the only callups from triple-a has been in most injury-related, not performance-rounded.

“We want guys from triple-a to pound the doll down,” cherington saaid. “That would be good. Got to do the work to do it. “

Cherington Remains Optimistic that the Major League Team Will Start to Turn the Corner Over the Final 110ish Games, and He’s Certain Skenes Will Be A Part of No Matter Ch.

“We’ve just get to get better,” cherington saaid. “Let’s play Better Baseball, and that’s Going to lead to winning more Games then, let’s wake up and see when we get to July.”