The Pirates likely won't trade Paul Skenes, but if they were to, then the Dodgers would probably want in on the action.

Dodgers trade idea deals May, four top prospects for Paul Skenes first appeared on Athlon Sports on May 22, 2025

That thinking drove ESPN baseball insider Jeff Passan to explain a similar line of thinking, as he pointed out that Skenes is virtually guaranteed to leave the Pirates when he becomes eligible for free agency, given the state of the franchise. By trading him now, Passan argued, the team could recoup a lot of his future value before that happens.