Paul Skenes winning his first Cy Young was supposed to be a big day for himself, his family, and the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. It’s a team where wins have been scarce over the last decade, so the chance for the best pitcher in the sport to take the award is a huge one. Skenes’ morning, though, took an unexpected turn when rumors circulated that he wanted to be traded to the New York Yankees.

According to Randy Miller of NJ.com, an anonymous teammate had reported to him that Skenes frequently spoke of hoping to be traded there. His report also mentioned that Skenes had no faith in the Pirates organization.

After winning his Cy Young, Skenes spoke on those Yankees rumors. He denied them.

“I got shown the tweet and got some texts about it. Didn’t think much about it,” Skenes said of Miller’s report, according to Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Athletic. “I’m on the Pirates. My goal is to win with the Pirates. … The way that fans see us outside of Pittsburgh, we’re not supposed to win. There are 29 fan bases that expect us to lose. I want to be a part of the 26 guys that change that.”

Skenes continued, confirming his commitment to the Pirates.

“I don’t know where that came from,” Skenes said. “I don’t know the reporter. I don’t know the player that supposedly said that. But the goal is to win, and the goal is to win in Pittsburgh.”

Keeping Skenes in Pittsburgh

For as long as the Pirates continue to have losing seasons, the noise around Skenes will persist. He’ll be linked to every contender under the sun, and edits from fan pages putting him in Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers jerseys are going to be everyday occurrences. All of that will continue to happen unless he is moved, signs elsewhere in free agency when the time comes, or Bob Nutting opens up his wallet for the face of his franchise.

Until that time comes, expect Yankees fans everywhere to be salivating at the chance to send Spencer Jones and his exorbitant strikeout rate and George Lombard Jr., the 20-year-old crown jewel of the minor league system, to Pittsburgh. Having to answer these questions and deal with a steady stream of fan infographics is likely irritating, but it will ultimately be up to the Pirates to quell that trade talk.

The Pirates can make genuine attempts to sign their ace long-term, rewarding the patience of fans who continue to attend the ballpark. Put a deal in front of him that eclipses Yoshinobu Yamamoto and that of their former ace and current Yankees star, Gerrit Cole. In fact, signing Skenes can rectify the sins of watching Cole thrive elsewhere. He serves as a mirror of their past failures.

Don’t Insult the Face of Your Franchise

What Nutting and Ben Cherington, the general manager of the organization, need to avoid absolutely is a metaphorical slap in the face to the player with a nonsensical offer, the way the Detroit Tigers did with Tarik Skubal.

The Tigers had reportedly offered Skubal a 4-year deal worth $80 million. He’s a Scott Boras client at that, so it’s the equivalent of offering him nothing at all.

Nutting should thank his lucky stars that the Boras Corporation does not represent his ace. That can change, but before it does, the owner should pony up. Boras will be looking to wrap his fingers around Skenes, and those Yankees rumors will kick up even more.

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