MLB
Paul Skenes’ contract details with the Pirates: How much money does the star pitcher make?
Last year’s first round draft pick has been setting the mound on fire for Pittsburgh, and as with his rookie contract, they are getting value for money.
Paul Skenes came out of college as the hottest prospect in baseball. So hot in fact, that he went first overall to the Pittsburgh Pirates in last year’s draft and signed a record contract.
With a signing bonus of $9.2 million, Skenes came in around a half million under his slot value but still set a record by $800,000 over the previous mark.
Skenes’ deal was an accountancy exercise for one year only as a way to get the signing bonus into his hands. Now that he has been called up, he will play for the league minimum, currently $740,000, while the club owns his player rights. Upon reaching five years in the Show, he will be eligible for free agency, by which time he could well be a Cy Young candidate and worth a considerable fortune.
It is worth noting that Skenes was a powerful hitter when he started off at Air Force before LSU converted him to a full time pitcher. He has previously stated that he would like the opportunity to hit in MLB, so if that should come to pass, you could well be looking at a young Shohei Ohtani in the making.
Skenes has had a phenomenal rookie year, with his chances of winning Rookie of the Year looking great as we head into the final stretch of the season. He has been nothing short of lights out against every team that he has faced, notching up a 6-2 record with a 2.25 ERA and 115 Ks on 92.0 innings worked.
There are worries that he may burn out, with Hall of Famer Randy Johnson saying that he is unsure if Skenes can maintain the kind of heat that he is bringing consistently over a long stretch.