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Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes denied reports that he told teammates he was favoring being traded, particularly to the New York Yankees, after winning the National League Cy Young Award Wednesday (November 12) night.
"I don't know where that came from," Skenes said via ESPN. "The goal is to win, and the goal is to win in Pittsburgh."
Skenes, 23, confirmed that he saw the report, which was cited to an anonymous Pirates player who claimed the ace was "hoping for a trade" ahead of his free agency in 2029, but said he "didn't think much about it."
"The way that fans see us outside of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh is not supposed to win," Skenes said via ESPN. "There are 29 fan bases that expect us to lose. I want to be a part of the 26 guys that change that."
Skenes, a former College World Series champion at LSU and the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 Major League Baseball Draft, has lived up to lofty expectations, having been selected as an All-Star during each of his first two MLB seasons, as well as winning the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year award, being selected to the All-MLB First Team as a rookie and leading the majors in ERA in 2025. The Pirates, however, have finished last in the National League Central Division standings during each of Skenes' first two seasons.