Yankees Eyeing Paul Skeens’ Future
LAS VEGAS — The Yankees have a crucial task ahead of them: keeping Paul Skeens under control.
According to Jon Heyman from the paper, the Yankees made attempts to secure him before this year’s trade deadline, and they’re likely to make another effort this offseason. For now, however, it seems their prospects aren’t changing much.
“He’s going to be a Pirate in 2026,” stated Pirates GM Ben Cherington during a general managers’ meeting at the Cosmopolitan Hotel.
Skeens, who is a strong contender for his first Cy Young Award this week, still has four years of control left with the Pirates. His odds of remaining with them seem pretty high at this moment. But the lingering question remains: can the Pirates build a competitive team around him? Until they show they can, skepticism from Cherington’s peers in baseball about the possibility of Skeens being traded will continue.
“Questions will be asked and it will always be respectful,” Cherington mentioned. “Teams need to ask questions, right? So it’s pretty much an endless cycle. But the answers stay consistent.”
Over recent seasons, Cherington and Yankees GM Brian Cashman have frequently collaborated on trades, including deals involving Jameson Taillon, Clay Holmes, and David Bednar.
This offseason, however, Cherington’s primary focus will be on building a solid roster to support Skeens’ talents.
“Winning games is really the best way to keep him in Pittsburgh for a long time,” Cherington remarked.
The Yankees have garnered attention for their ability to develop catchers, which other teams are taking note of, especially those on the lookout for skilled catchers.
Last year, eleven catchers made their way through the Yankees organization and played in the major leagues: Austin Wells, Ben Rice, J.C. Escala, Jose Trevino, Kyle Higashioka, Ben Rottvedt, Carlos Narvaez, Luis Torrence, Agustin Ramirez, Rafael Flores, and Alex Jackson, under the guidance of Tanner Swanson and Aaron Gershenfeld.
“I think they’re legitimately developing their catchers well,” Cherington said, acknowledging acquisitions of Flores and Edgren Perez in the David Bednar trade. “Not every catcher out of the Yankees will become a star, but their training is pretty dependable.”
The Yankees used Ramirez, who received votes for NL Rookie of the Year this week, as a key piece to land Jazz Chisholm Jr. from the Marlins before the 2024 trade deadline. They also relied on him to secure another catching prospect, Jesus Rodriguez, from the Giants during the same period.
“They do a great job,” commented Marlins director of baseball operations, Peter Bendix. “He has really excelled in developing players, especially catchers.”
The Yankees have some positions to address in their bullpen for the offseason, but they got a head start by acquiring Bednar at the deadline, who’s under club control through next season.
Bednar participated in 22 games for the Yankees, achieving a 2.19 ERA and stepping into the closer role, where he also performed well in the playoffs.
“He’s my favorite person I’ve ever been around,” Cherington expressed. “Someone asked me during the trade how I thought he’d handle a big market. I said, ‘I think he’ll do well because he’s confident, responsible, talented, and seems to enjoy being here.’ Good for him.”
Ramirez finished sixth in the National League Rookie of the Year voting, while another former Yankees prospect, Caleb Durbin, took third.
The Yankees traded an infielder — along with Nestor Cortez — to acquire Devin Williams last offseason, a move that some think may haunt them later.
“He told us right away, ‘I’ve been ignored my whole life,’” said Brewers GM Matt Arnold. “That’s why we were drawn to him. We felt the industry overlooked him. Once you see him in the playoffs, I think you’ll definitely notice him. He stepped up all year and became a solid asset in our lineup.”
