There has been rampant speculation that the spiraling Pirates might be better off trading the best young pitcher in MLB for a haul of prospects to boost their offense.

Skenes, the first overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, will take the mound for Team USA in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

Skenes has been pitching to the exquisite tune of a 2.36 ERA through 11 starts so far, yet he's also part of an offensively weak Pirates team that ranks last in the league with 157 runs. The Pirates (18-34) are currently down in the weeds hanging around a Colorado Rockies team that is off to the league's worst 50-game start in over a century.