{"id":70518,"date":"2025-07-22T21:10:38","date_gmt":"2025-07-22T21:10:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=70518"},"modified":"2025-07-22T21:10:38","modified_gmt":"2025-07-22T21:10:38","slug":"paul-skenes-blockbuster-mock-trade-cubs-land-pirates-generational-hurler","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=70518","title":{"rendered":"Paul Skenes Blockbuster Mock Trade: Cubs Land Pirates Generational Hurler"},"content":{"rendered":"
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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

It\u2019s happening. Again.<\/p>\n

The Chicago Cubs\u2014who spent most of the 2025 season\u2019s first half atop the NL Central\u2014have gone 5-5 in their last ten games, allowing the Milwaukee Brewers to climb into first place, while sending North Side fans into their traditional mid-summer tizzy.<\/p>\n

And pitching is the main culprit.<\/p>\n

Much of the top end of Chicago\u2019s starting staff has been (Shota Imanaga), or currently is in (Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon) the hospital ward. As for the healthy hurlers, some have been sent down to the minors (Ben Brown) while others haven\u2019t lived up to lofty, possibly unrealistic expectations (Cade Horton).<\/p>\n

This all is a bummer, as the Cubs field one of the most potent offenses in team history; their current 5.35 runs-per-game average would be the franchise’s third-best. But if the staff keeps getting shelled\u2014they\u2019ve allowed a combined 18 runs in their last two games\u2014and the team can\u2019t sneak into the postseason, the campaign will be considered a disaster.<\/p>\n

The Pittsburgh Pirates\u2019 year already is a disaster. We\u2019ll spare you a deep dive; just suffice it to say that their -70 run differential is the sixth-worst in the league, and their 13-37 road record is MLB\u2019s second from the bottom.<\/p>\n

The one bright spot is Paul Skenes, who, despite being saddled with one of the worst rosters in team history\u2014and that\u2019s saying something\u2014sports a 1.91 ERA, a 0.91 WHIP, and a sick 5.3 WAR. His insane strikeout-to-walk ratio is 137-to-31, and his even more insane strikeout-to-hit ratio is 137-85.<\/p>\n

Despite those generationally frightening numbers, his record is 5-8. But even prime Cy Young couldn\u2019t have topped .500 with this really, really bad team.<\/p>\n

The Pirates have insisted they have zero interest in trading their sophomore superduperstar, but it might not be a bad idea to at least consider it.<\/p>\n

Bleacher Report ranks the Pittsburgh farm system as the third-best in the league, so an infusion of young talent and draft picks might make the team relevant in, say, four years. After all, Skenes can\u2019t do it on his own.<\/p>\n

That all being the case, this deal might make the Pirates’ future look a scootch brighter:<\/p>\n

Chicago Cubs receive:<\/h3>\n

Pittsburgh Pirates receive:<\/h3>\n

The Pirates Win a Skenes Trade? Really?!?<\/h2>\n

Here\u2019s why this wouldn\u2019t suck too badly for Pirates fans:<\/p>\n

As for the Cubs, sure, they\u2019d be mortgaging much of their future, but a Skenes-led rotation would put them in the World Series mix for five-ish years. Losing Tucker would be a blow, but his contract is up at the end of this year, and he\u2019s yet to express any notable concrete public interest in making Wrigley Field his long-term home.<\/p>\n

Horton and Ballesteros could be stars, but during a season in which a championship is within Chicago\u2019s grasp\u2014and a stud starter might put them over the edge\u2014giving the house to get a single otherworldly talent might make perfect sense.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Pittsburgh could reboot their franchise if they send Paul Skenes to Chicago for a massive haul.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":70519,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-70518","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\nPaul Skenes Blockbuster Mock Trade: Cubs Land Pirates Generational Hurler - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=70518\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Paul Skenes Blockbuster Mock Trade: Cubs Land Pirates Generational Hurler - NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Pittsburgh could reboot their franchise if they send Paul Skenes to Chicago for a massive haul.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=70518\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-07-22T21:10:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/avtvip-103.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"MrThanh\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"MrThanh\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"1 minute\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=70518\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=70518\",\"name\":\"Paul Skenes Blockbuster Mock Trade: Cubs Land Pirates Generational Hurler - 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