From the moment he put on the Pittsburgh Pirates’ black and gold threads, LSU Tigers baseball legend Paul Skenes’ future with the franchise has been in question.
Over the last decade, the club has continuously dumped high-end talent in an effort to clear the books and reset expectations.
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Even with Skenes on a generational start to a career on the bump, the team has remained an NL bottom-feeder, struggling to even win in his starts.
ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan recently suggested Skenes is expected to be the only untouchable member of the roster ahead of the impending trade deadline, but could a “godfather offer” from a perennial powerhouse shift that reality?
ESPN’s David Schoenfield recently pitched a monster deal that would send Skenes to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Dalton Rushing, Josue De Paula, Alex Freeland, Emmet Sheehan, and Jackson Ferris to Pittsburgh.
Rushing was recently LA’s top prospect, with De Paula and Freeland cracking MLB Pipeline’s current top-50 prospects overall.
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If the Pirates could land three “everyday” players in exchange for Skenes, there’s an argument that’s far more valuable to a struggling squad than having an elite ace take the mound once a week.
The Dodgers don’t need to develop talent if they operate with a blank checkbook, and Skenes is one of the most marketable players in the sport and instantly becomes a reliable top-of-the-rotation monster.
The ex-LSU Tiger would be a superstar in LA and would further solidify their status as the league’s unbeatable super team.
It might seem unnecessary, but the Dodgers have shown a willingness to target needle movers to stack up pennants.