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Paul Skenes Throws 1st Career Complete Game And Loses As Trade Speculation Intensifies

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Paul Skenes delivers a pitch for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

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Paul Skenes threw the first complete game of his MLB career on Sunday in a loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Pirates were unable to get a run across the plate in a 1-0 setback. The close loss only added to recent speculation of a future trade. Skenes’ stock is at a high.

Last week, Jeff Passan of ESPN made an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show to talk about the possibility of Pittsburgh dealing its ace. He said it could be the best option for the franchise.

“The Pirates, including 2025, have five years of club control before he reaches free agency,” Passan said. “If they believe that they have absolutely no chance of signing him, then they should trade him. You can make the argument that they should trade him now.”

Passan went onto say that the organization may be hesitant to do so at this moment due to rising talent set to join the roster, though he did note that outside suitors will likely gauge interest on Skenes at the trade deadline.

Will the Pirates trade Paul Skenes? It would be a disappointing split for fans of the team given his quick rise to stardom. Those supporters would rather see offensive talent added in free agency or via trade. The lacking offensive support was evident in his latest start.

Paul Skenes lost his first MLB complete game.

The righty threw eight innings of one-run ball, striking out nine Philadelphia hitters and allowing just three hits. He was absolutely dealing!

The Phillies got just four runners on base throughout the contest, scoring their only run of the game on an RBI groundout in the fifth frame. The Pirates’ lineup was unable to match the scoring output.

The team struck out 14 times on the day. They did record six hits but couldn’t get a baserunner across home plate.

Skenes’ strong performance resulted in his first career complete game. It was something he was not asked to do last year as a rookie.

The Pirates wasted their star’s most recent performance. Paul Skenes made personal history on Sunday. Unfortunately, it came in a losing effort. It’s done nothing but intensify trade speculation as many want to see him out of Pittsburgh and on a team that can compete.