CC Sabathia’s take on Paul Skenes could foreshadow what’s next for Pirates

With the Pittsburgh Pirates posting a losing record over the last two seasons with Paul Skenes on their roster, many have speculated that the club might entertain trading its ace for a blockbuster return.

Teams will inquire about Skenes – and some already have – but if you ask New York Yankees legend and Hall of Fame pitcher CC Sabathia, the right-hander isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

"I don't think Pittsburgh can do anything with him in the near future, just because of the way that would look to their fanbase, right," Sabathia said on the latest episode of "Network" with Rich Kleinman. "You can't give up on a team that has that type of talent, that type of starter."

Skenes is too valuable to give up easily. Sabathia knows it, and even the Pirates' front office – inept as it is – knows it, too. The Pirates are unlikely to dump Skenes, or trade him hastily, because doing so would betray that investment and hope. At the same time, it suggests that if the Pirates aren’t going to contend anytime soon, Skenes becomes a major asset.

Because Sabathia describes what trading Skenes would “look like” – conceding a franchise cornerstone rather than building – it signals the Pirates might keep him as their centerpiece (at least for now). That suggests Pittsburgh may lean into building a rotation, bullpen and offense around him rather than flipping him for immediate help.

Organizational optics matter, and Pittsburgh has invested high expectations in Skenes. To trade or mismanage him would signal giving up the future. The optics of how the franchise handles Skenes will impact how the fanbase perceives Pittsburgh’s commitment to winning.

CC Sabathia compares Paul Skenes to Tarik Skubal, suggesting he won't be in Pittsburgh for long

Skenes is viewed as a premium asset – a frontline ace capable of anchoring a competitive rotation. How Pittsburgh handles him (build around him vs. trade him) will send a strong message about their strategy.

"Look at Detroit [Tigers] and Tarik Skubal," Sabathia said. "They're in the playoffs every year, solely because of the way he pitches. You can get by with just the one starter and Skubal almost pitched them to the World Series last year, with just him by himself. It can be done."

Skubal has drawn attention for being the kind of pitcher capable of singlehandedly changing the trajectory of a team. His dominance put the Tigers in a position where one elite starter could carry them deep into the postseason. By comparing Skenes to that model, Sabathia is essentially saying: “You’ve got a pitcher with top-tier potential. He becomes the guy around whom a successful team could be built.”

The Skubal analogy highlights that even if Skenes is excellent – and he is – baseball isn’t just about one arm. Detroit didn’t win a World Series just because of Skubal, but having him made them relevant and pushed them closer. The Pirates’ decision-makers must ask: Are we going “all-in” now because we have Skenes, or do we build everything else around him first? Sabathia seems to question whether Pittsburgh has enough pieces (or will soon) to ride Skenes to contention.

But contention doesn't happen overnight. If Skenes is “the guy,” the organization must surround him with supporting arms, offense and defense, – all of which takes time. Until the roster supports a front-line starter like this, the Pirates will continue to struggle to convert Skenes’ talent into wins. The Skubal model shows one great arm elevates a team, but it doesn’t substitute for an entire competitive roster.

However, the Skubal comparison also serves as a cautionary tale for Skenes and the Pirates. With Skubal set to become a free agent after the 2026 season, he and the Tigers are reportedly upwards of a quarter of a billion dollars apart in contract talks.

How this story will end seems obvious; Skubal will walk in free agency, sign a massive deal with a large-market team and become a winner somewhere other than Detroit. It's hard not to see the same happening with Skenes and the Pirates.