The Pittsburgh Pirates are standing on the edge of a cliff — and no one in baseball is watching closer than their 23-year-old ace, Paul Skenes. After a 12-26 start, the team fired manager Derek Shelton and handed it to bench coach Don Kelly. The hometown manager pulled the Pirates out of the ditch, going 52-54 the rest of the way and making PNC Park feel alive again with a 35-19 record, where they saw a sweep of the Dodgers.

And yet, despite the turnaround, there is no official word on whether Kelly will keep the job full-time or signal to fans — or to Skenes — that the team is serious about building a winner. This situation has led to a sharp warning shot from Jake Elman of FanSided, who believes that Paul Sknes needs to get involved in the team’s crucial decisions.

Elman pointed, “Skenes is not only the Pirates’ best player, but he’s the sole bright spot for a franchise that hasn’t had a winning record… since the start of 2016.” In fact, Pittsburgh has managed only four winning seasons and three playoff victories in the last 33 years, and without drafting Skenes No. 1 overall in 2023, nothing has worked in the last decade. With a history that bleak, giving your best player a voice in the team’s direction seems like a logical first step.

So, he writes, “The Pirates need to make sure they include Skenes in all and any conversations regarding their next manager.” And then comes the bombshell. “And Skenes must be prepared to request a trade if the Pirates don’t seek his input.” Because, in the words of Elman, the team has nothing to lose by asking.

“At this point, the Pirates have nothing to lose by asking Skenes’ thoughts on their next manager. Who cares that he’s a 23-year-old with two seasons under his belt? In fact, the Pirates should absolutely get Skenes involved if ownership moves on from top executive Ben Cherrington,” he writes.

And most importantly, the Pirates’ refusal to name Kelly permanently, or to involve Skenes in the process, risks repeating the same mistakes. Elman asks: If Pittsburgh truly plans to build around Skenes, why wouldn’t they ask for his thoughts? To be clear, the article isn’t suggesting Skenes should have the final say. Instead, “by no means are we saying Skenes should have the final say. At the same time, there is no reason not to at least see what Skenes thinks.” Because truly, right now, it feels Skenes would know what would be best for the team.

The team has to see if he wants Kelly back. Would he prefer a hitting-first manager to fix the offense? Or a veteran presence like Don Mattingly or Walt Weiss? As Elman notes, even basic conversations like these matter because if they truly intend to build their roster around Skenes, “they must show it by including him in the war room.”  And if they are not, then “Otherwise, Pittsburgh may as well put a giant ‘FOR SALE’ sign on Skenes’ jersey.” 

For all the talk about decisions, the larger shadow over Pittsburgh is money

The Pirates hit the jackpot drafting Skenes, but will they ever pay to keep him?

After his recent outings against the Dodgers in August — six shutout innings, eight strikeouts — MLB insider Mark Madden noted, “Give Skenes $10 million for next season, then $30 million for each of the subsequent three seasons. Buy out his arbitration years…Until that happens, or something similar, it’s all a mirage dipped in wishful thinking.” Madden followed up: “Cut to the chase: Nutting would never give Skenes that deal.” 

The problem is owner Bob Nutting. And numbers back up that pessimism because the Pirates’ payroll was just $87.3 million, ranking 29th in MLB at the end of 2024. And in 2025?

It dropped to $85.5 million, 26th overall. Their biggest free-agent deal in history was Francisco Liriano’s three years, $39 million, a decade ago, and their last multi-year contract was Ivan Nova’s three years, $26 million in 2016. Nothing since.

For perspective, Jeff Passan has projected Skenes could one day land a $500 million deal in free agency—the richest pitching contract ever. Does anyone truly believe Nutting will offer that?

And the more bitter truth was, the Pirates are one of the most profitable teams in baseball, as per Bob Nightengale— thanks to MLB’s revenue-sharing system that allows ownership to make money regardless of wins or losses.

That’s why the team can run payrolls near the bottom of the league while PNC Park remains packed with hopeful fans. So if the Pirates continue to prioritize profits over pennants, Skenes will eventually end up with a team willing to spend. And once that happens, the franchise won’t just lose its ace — it will lose its only real identity.