Paul Skenes officially signs with Pittsbugh Pirates in record deal
No messing around with negotiations, Paul Skenes has inked a record deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates well ahead of the July 25 deadline.
It is not unusual these days for draft signings to undergo a tortuous journey. Particularly when you are talking about the number one overall, and even more so when that player is referred to in the press as a “generational talent.” Agents want to make sure that they are getting the most that they can for their client, and who can blame them?
But sometimes, the desire of the player to just be done with it all sets the tone. And it seems that Paul Skenes simply wants to be a Pirate. So he got the deal done quickly.
To be fair to Pittsburgh, they didn’t try any trickery either. No messing around, undervaluing Skenes and looking for a deal. They know what they have in their hands and they paid what turns out to be a record amount for a first overall draft pick.
Paul Skenes is now officially a Pittsburgh Pirate for the record price of $9.2 million, shattering the previous mark of just over $8.4 million paid to Spencer Torkelson by Detroit in 2020.
Starting his college baseball at Air Force, Skenes was a standout All-American two way player, winning the 2022 John Olerud Two-Way Player Award. After transferring to LSU, Skenes switched to pitching-only and set the entire country on fire, racking up the most dominant pitching season in many a long college baseball season on his way to winning the national championship with the Tigers. Across 19 starts, Skenes posted a 1.69 ERA with 209 strikeouts in 122.2 innings pitched, picking up National Player of the Year, National Pitcher of the Year, SEC Pitcher of the Year, First-Team All-American, and the Dick Howser Trophy.
Skenes reported that signing with Pittsburgh was one of the easiest decisions of his life, not only for the eye-popping paycheck, but because the organization struck a chord with him.
General Manager Ben Cherington and the front office have a player development style that Skenes appreciates. Asked about the conversations that he has had with the Pirates over his two-way ability, Skenes said, “Yeah, it is a conversation that we have had and it is ‘to be determined’.”
For their part, Cherington said that they will evaluate Skenes in Florida before making any determination. Sounds like this is the start of something beautiful in baseball.