Pirates' Paul Skenes is MLB's lowest-paid union leader, but he's fighting for something bigger

Paul Skenes is one of the most valuable players in Major League Baseball. He's also the lowest-paid member of the eight-player executive subcommittee helping lead the MLB Players Association through what could become one of the most contentious labor negotiations in recent baseball history.

And that distinction makes the Pittsburgh Pirates ace's involvement in the upcoming collective bargaining agreement negotiations particularly fascinating.

Skenes earned a base salary of just $1.085 million in 2026. That's a fraction of what several of his fellow union leaders made. Tarik Skubal earned $32 million this season, while Marcus Semien made approximately $26 million and Chris Bassitt earned $18.5 million. Even Brent Suter, the second-lowest-paid member of the executive subcommittee, earned more than Skenes at $1.25 million.

Of course, Skenes has received substantial additional compensation through his $9.2 million draft signing bonus and performance bonuses. But when it comes to annual salaries, the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner remains remarkably inexpensive. And while several of his fellow union representatives have already secured massive paydays, Skenes is fighting to protect an earning opportunity he hasn't yet experienced.

Paul Skenes has a different perspective on MLB's salary cap battle

MLB owners have proposed a new economic structure featuring a $245.3 million salary cap and a $171.2 million salary floor for 2027. The players' union remains firmly opposed to a hard cap, setting up a potentially explosive confrontation when the current CBA expires December 1.

For established veterans with lucrative contracts, the motivation to oppose restrictions on player salaries might seem obvious. Skenes, meanwhile, has yet to reach his first arbitration salary agreement, let alone negotiate a massive extension or test free agency.

According to MLB Trade Rumors' projections, Skenes is expected to earn approximately $7.2 million in 2027. That would represent a significant raise, but it's still nowhere near what a pitcher of his caliber could command on the open market. He may not be fighting to preserve an existing nine-figure contract, but he's fighting to preserve the possibility of signing one someday.

That doesn't make Skenes' position entirely selfless. A salary cap could significantly limit his future earning potential, giving him an obvious personal financial stake in the negotiations. But he has also emphasized that his responsibility extends beyond his own bank account.

"It's very easy to be in a position like this and think about yourself," Skenes told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in June, explaining that the decisions made during these negotiations will affect future generations of players.

His perspective is particularly noteworthy given the organization he represents. The Pirates are precisely the type of small-market franchise MLB has highlighted when arguing for a salary cap and floor.

Ownership has frequently operated with one of baseball's smaller payrolls, and the league contends that restricting the highest-spending organizations while establishing a minimum payroll would create greater competitive balance.

Bob Nutting has previously expressed support for the concept of a salary cap, calling it beneficial to Pittsburgh in 2009, although he declined to disclose his position on the current proposal earlier this year.

Skenes, however, doesn't accept the premise that playing for a smaller-market organization means accepting competitive helplessness.

"You can't be in the clubhouse of a small-market team and feel like you're helpless," Skenes told the Post-Gazette in September.

As the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays battle it out in the World Series, that argument is becoming increasingly difficult to dismiss. Both clubs reached baseball's biggest stage without the salary cap MLB insists is necessary to give smaller-market franchises a fighting chance.

There's also an irony in Pittsburgh potentially benefiting from a system that limits what Skenes could eventually earn. A mandatory payroll floor could force Nutting to invest considerably more in his roster. A salary cap, however, could also restrict the contracts available to a superstar like Skenes when he finally reaches free agency.

In theory, that might make it easier for Pittsburgh to retain Skenes. But it would come at the expense of his potential earning power. And while a cap-and-floor system could help some younger players through higher minimum salaries, Skenes has made it clear that he believes the consequences extend to arbitration, guaranteed contracts and players throughout the sport.

That's what makes his leadership role so significant. The Pirates' biggest star is fighting for an economic system that rewards players according to what teams are willing to pay them, even as his own franchise has historically been reluctant to make those investments.

Skenes doesn't yet know whether he'll ever receive the kind of contract that would place him among baseball's highest-paid players. But he knows the outcome of these negotiations could determine what that opportunity looks like.

For Pirates fans, the uncomfortable question is whether Pittsburgh's ownership shares his ambition.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow