Paul Skenes to Red Sox? Insane Trade Thought Pushed by MLB Network Host

Last year’s National League Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes, the 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick, continues to pitch at a Cy Young Award-worthy level, but his talents are seemingly being wasted on the Pittsburgh Pirates.

After finishing 10 games under .500 last season, 17 games out in last place in the NL Central, the Pirates are even worse this year — already 15 1/2 games behind the division-leading Chicago Cubs and 13 games under .500 with 100 games remaining.

At the same time, Skenes leads the National League in pitcher WAR at 3.2, WHIP at 0.88, and fewest hits allowed per nine innings with 5.8. His 2.05 ERA is second in the league.

Skenes has also been a workhorse, with NL-best figures in games started (13), innings pitched (83 1/3), and complete games, though his league-leading total in the latter category is one.

Yet with the Pirates, Skenes this year has a losing record of 4-6. The Pirates have lost eight of his 13 starts. In fact, in nine of his starts, Skenes has pitched at least six innings while allowing two or fewer earned runs.

The Pirates record in those games is 4-5.

With all of that in mind, MLB Network studio host Greg Amsinger threw out a wild idea.

“So every fifth day we’re going watch Paul Skenes shove and the Pirates lose 1-0 or 2-0. We’re going to do that every fifth day?” Amsinger asked his co-hosts, former players Dan PLesac and Harold Reynolds, on a Wednesday broadcast.

Then he pitched his trade idea.

“If Paul Skenes were traded to the Boston Red Sox for Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony, and Kristian Campbell, would you do it if you were the Pirates?”

More MLB: Pirates Owner Wasting Paul Skenes Era, ‘Should be Embarrassed,’ MLB Analyst Says

Mayer, Anthony and Campbell are known as the “Big Three” among Red Sox fans, as the organization’s three top prospects. Mayer and Campbell have already made it to the Boston big league roster.

Anthony is the No. 1 prospect in baseball, though for some reason the Red Sox have kept him at Triple-A Worcester all season so far.

Together, that big three, along with several other highly-rated Red Sox prospects, represent the future of the Boston organization.

Plesac, who pitched 18 seasons in MLB for six different teams, wasn’t having it.

“I’m not into trading him,” Plesac said, referring to Skenes. “He’s the identity of the Pirates. He’s the one attraction that you have to get you to go out and watch a Pirate game.”

The MLB Network hosts did not address, however, the Red Sox’s perspective on the proposed trade. Would the Red Sox sell their future for Skenes, even with four years of team control for the 22-year-old prodigy?

It should be noted the Red Sox already have a starting pitcher who this season has been arguably as good as Skenes, or at least very close to his level. Has left-hander Garret Crochet fared better with Boston than Skenes with Pittsburgh?

Crochet has a better ERA than Skenes at 1.98, and he leads the American League in strikeouts with 101 (Skenes has fanned 85). Crochet has also started 13 games, and thrown a league-leading 82 innings.

His won-loss record with the Red Sox is 5-4. In his seven starts of at least six innings, allowing two runs or fewer, the Red Sox are 5-2.

More MLB: Red Sox Frustrate Fans With Call-Up of Triple-A Outfielder Not Named Roman Anthony