The Pittsburgh Pirates have made it clear as an organization that they will not trade Paul Skenes despite league-wide interest. Instead, the team has committed to building around him heading into the 2026 MLB season.
Skenes is quite the superstar to build around. The 23-year-old right-hander won his first National League Cy Young Award in 2025 and has quickly established himself as one of the top pitchers in the game.
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Since reaching the majors, he has shown no signs of struggle, living up to the hype that surrounded him when he was drafted first overall in the 2023 MLB Draft. His rise was meteoric, as he spent minimal time in the minors before becoming the face of Pittsburgh’s rotation.
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes (30)© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Last season, Skenes made 32 starts and finished with a 10–10 record, an impressive 1.97 ERA and 216 strikeouts across 187.2 innings. Perhaps the clearest takeaway from that stat line is the gap between his dominance and his win-loss record. Despite leading all of baseball in ERA, he still finished with 10 losses.
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The primary reason was Pittsburgh’s lack of offense and poor run support. The Pirates scored just 3.59 runs per game in 2025 and posted a team-wide OPS of .655, by far the worst offense in the league.
On Tuesday, Skenes received good news. According to Robert Murray of FanSided, the Pirates agreed to terms with first baseman Ryan O’Hearn on a two-year, $29 million contract.
O’Hearn is coming off an impressive 2025 campaign split between the Baltimore Orioles and San Diego Padres. He earned his first career All-Star selection and hit .281 with a .366 on-base percentage, .803 OPS, 17 home runs and 63 RBIs across 144 games.
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Pirates Show Commitment to Surrounding Skenes With Legitimate Talent
O’Hearn joins a growing list of offensive reinforcements Pittsburgh has added this offseason. The team also recently acquired second baseman Brandon Lowe from the Tampa Bay Rays, giving the lineup another proven bat.
Earlier in the winter, the Pirates were even engaged with slugger Kyle Schwarber before he re-signed with the Philadelphia Phillies. These moves reflect a clear organizational priority of ensuring that Skenes has an offense capable of supporting his elite pitching.
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For a franchise that has long struggled to pair strong arms with consistent hitting, the commitment to surround Skenes with legitimate offensive talent signals a new direction.
If these additions can provide the run support that was missing in 2025, the Pirates may finally give their young ace the backing he needs to turn dominance into wins.
Related: Pirates Share Paul Skenes Award News After Second MLB Season
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Dec 23, 2025, where it first appeared in the MLB section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.