Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski rumor should have Pirates ashamed of Paul Skenes situation

At this point it doesn't take much - if anything - for the average Pirates fans to become exasperated when it comes to the handling of the team, despite having arguably the best pitcher in the game in Paul Skenes.

As such, we can't imagine people in Pittsburgh will be too happy by the following report from baseball reporter Francys Romero:

Jacob Misiorowski has been at the center of the news cycle the past few days, following the decision to name him to the National League All-Star Game roster as a replacement for Chicago Cubs pitcher Matthew Boyd. A lot of people believe Misiorowski shouldn't have been selected due to his lack of major league experience, with Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner calling it a "joke".

Not that the Milwaukee Brewers righty himself has been a joke, with him making a stunning early impression though five starts in the majors. In 25.2 combined innings, he's produced a 4-1 record, 2.81 ERA, 145 ERA+, 0.896 WHIP and 33 strikeouts, thanks in large part to a fastball which has averaged 99.3 mph.

It's no wonder the Brewers might be interested in extending him, though MLB insider Robert Murray heard at the All-Star Game that the two sides have yet to hold formal contract extension talks.

What exactly are the Pittsburgh Pirates playing at?

That the Brewers are already looking to get the star rookie signed up to a contract extension only shines a brighter light on the situation in Pittsburgh, and the Pirates organization should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves. And they only risk further alienating the fanbase with their actions - or lack thereof.

Whereas the Brewers might be keeping an open mind towards extending Misiorowski, the Pirates can't make up any ground on their own contract talks with Skenes. Making it even worse is that while you have a good team in Milwaukee, which is just 1.0 game off the top of the NL Central, the Bucs are firmly rooted to the bottom of the division and also 13.5 games back of a Wild Card spot.

Now we're not suggesting it's a easy process to get Skenes signed to a new deal, but if you have a player such as him, you should be doing everything possible to keep him happy and wanting to remain in Pittsburgh for his entire career. He's a special talent who has performed wonders during his first two year in the majors, despite how poor the team around him has been.

The recently turned 23-year-old leads all of MLB with a 2.01 ERA and 212 ERA+, also paces the NL with a 2.40 FIP and is projected to have an 0.926 WHIP, which would be better than last year. Oh, and he also leads all of baseball with a 4.8 WAR, which only helps highlight that his 4-8 record in 20 starts is not on him.

As a result of all this success, Skenes is the first player in Pirates history to be named an All-Star in both of his first two seasons. Of more significance, he also becomes the youngest ever pitcher to start back-to-back All-Star Games.

Paul Skenes is a generational talent who deserves whatever he wants

It shouldn't matter that the Pirates have club control over Skenes until 2030 - they really need to get him signed to a lucrative new deal sooner than later, because he's damn worth it. Of course, most won't have much faith in this potential sequence, with the Pirates having the 26th-ranked payroll in baseball and second-lowest in the NL.

For his part, the 2023 first overall draft pick doesn't seem particularly concerned whenever he's been asked about contract talks. As per Barry M. Bloom of Sportico (subscription required), at the end of May, he said: "That hasn’t happened. This is about the here and now. I’m not in any rush for a decision to be made like that." It is important to note Skenes did finish by adding: "I don’t think they are, either."

If you were of a more skeptical mind, this could be perceived as a passive aggressive, subtle shot at the Pirates organization.

In any event, Pirates ownership owes it to the players and long-suffering fans to get Skenes signed to the type of lucrative deal he thoroughly deserves. Because, as of right now they are not just embarrassing themselves, but are showing a lack of awareness (or, even worse, just not caring about how they are perceived).

More Posts from Rum Bunter