Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington has broken his silence on a possible trade of star pitcher Paul Skenes, saying dealing last year’s All-Star Game starter was never on the table.Â
Ahead of the Major League Baseball trade deadline and Pittsburgh well out of the playoff race, many wondered if Skenes could be flipped for tons of assets to help in the future. Cherington has spoken to those claims for the first time, denying it was ever an option. Â
The Pirates enter Friday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers at 17-34 overall and 13.5 games behind the Chicago Cubs for first place in the NL Central.Â
Pittsburgh finished each of the last two seasons 10 games under .500, with this year projected to be a step forward.Â
Instead, it has been multiple steps back, with Skenes viewed as one of the only prized assets on the squad.Â
‘No, it’s not part of the conversation at all,’ Cherington said of the Skenes trade talk.Â
Pirates GM Ben Cherington has broken his silence on a possible trade of pitcher Paul Skenes
Dealing last year’s All-Star Game starter was never on the table for the struggling franchise
After Cherington spoke to the media on Thursday, the Pirates scored five or more runs for the first time in 27 contests, still in an 8-5 loss.Â
The Pirates co-hold the MLB record with 26 consecutive games scoring four runs or less with four other teams, with the most recent being the 1969 California Angels.Â
Pittsburgh’s season already looks on life support after having fired manager Derek Shelton two weeks ago and fortunes not turning under Don Kelly.Â
Yet, the Pirates starting rotation has been viewed as one of the best parts of the struggling team.Â
And Pittsburgh’s ace is not going anywhere is Cherington has a say.Â
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Pirates GM breaks silence on Paul Skenes trade talk amid claims star pitcher could be on way out