Does Paul Skenes really want to play for the Yankees?

Yahoo Sports senior MLB analysts Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman discuss the claim by a Pirates teammate of the NL Cy Young winner that he has said multiple times that he wants to play for the Yankees. Check out the full conversation on the “Baseball Bar-B-Cast” podcast – and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.

Video Transcript

We have some reporting from Randy Miller of New Jersey Advanced Media.

Essentially, is this a report?

I mean, that’s what hes calling it, so thats what Im gonna call it.

Reporting cites a Skeens teammate with some quotes suggesting That Paul Skenes does not want to be on the Pirates anymore.

That Paul Skenes wants to be a Yankee.

This anonymous Pirates teammate who is being quoted as saying, Trust me, he said many times that he wants to be, Trust me, bro, walk ’round the clubhouse, and he would holler, and he would just, Wow, wow, I don’t want to be here anymore, yeah.

Uh, trust me, he would wear pinstripes on the team plane.

He, yes, he was watching videos, um, of the bleacher watching the Yankees.

Yep, he was just like doing the, he’s, you know, it, it’s.

He’s a Yankees fan.

All he wants to do is be on the Yankees.

What we will not do is pretend like this is reflective at all of who Paul Skins is like a person.

And when Paul Skins was asked about this, kind of the way he just talked about it What this award meant to him.

And just what he is thinking about right now, I think this gives us a better sense of kind Of where Paul Skenes’ headspace is at.

OK, can we pull the quote back up?

Like, that was on all the graphics.

I think it says, “Trust me, he wants to play for the Yankees.”

I’ve heard him say it multiple times.

I dont believe that.

Ill say it.

I believe this was relayed to Randy Miller by someone.

You can spend a little time online and figure out who.

If someone said to Paul Skins, “Hey, do you want to play for the Yankees?”

You’d be like, yeah, that’d be pretty cool one day.

But that is so different from Paul Skes like walking up.

So a teammate said, “You know what I like?”

I want to play for the Yankees, right?

Thats what I want.

It just, it just is not how this guy moves.

We have been fortunate enough to interact with Paul Skenes a number of times over the last A couple of years ago.

I sat down with him for 20 minutes one-on-one.

In spring training.

Uh, we talked to him when he was at LSU, in college.

We chatted with him at the All-Star Game this year.

Paul Skins is not someone who likes trying to get out.

He’s not a jumpship guy, OK.

I think that has been shown by his behavior over the years.

I think it’s clear how difficult it was for him to leave the Air Force and jump ship.

Jump a plane.

To go to LSU was a no-brainer decision.

Every step of the way, whether it’s financial, or his career, He had, remember, if he’d stayed one more year in the Air Force, He would have had to serve, and then would have just been in the Air Force for five years, and we probably wouldn’t be talking about Paul Skenes at all, Right?

Like people wouldn’t know Paul Skins’ name.

Like, oh wow, I just finished his service He’s coming back.

Instead, he goes to LSU, and I think that that was a difficult decision for him.

It was an obvious decision, but a tough one, and that just shows you hes a guy who Is not looking for the easy way out.

Do I think he’ll eventually be traded by the Pirates, who don’t spend much money?

Maybe.

Maybe, probably, sadly.

Do I think Paul Skins will initiate that?

No, no.

I do not.

Does Paul Skenes really want to play for the Yankees?

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