Yankees Paul Skenes situation remains status quo…
LAS VEGAS — The Yankees wouldn’t be doing their job if they didn’t continue to verify in on Paul Skenes.
They did at the commerce deadline this 12 months, as The Post’s Jon Heyman beforehand reported, and they virtually actually will again this offseason. But at least for now, they’re probably to get the same reply.
“He’s going to be a Pirate in 2026,” Pirates GM Ben Cherington said Tuesday at the final managers conferences at the Cosmopolitan Hotel.
Skenes, the heavy favourite to win his first Cy Young on Wednesday evening, still has 4 years of crew control left, which might make the potential return for him astronomical at this level. But until the Pirates show they’ll construct a successful membership around him, there shall be questions about when and if he shall be traded — including from Cherington’s fellow heads of baseball operations.
“The question gets asked and it’s always respectful,” Cherington said. “Teams have to ask the question, right? So I suspect that won’t end. But the answer has been consistent.”
Cherington and Yankees GM Brian Cashman have turn out to be frequent commerce companions in latest years, including offers for Jameson Taillon, Clay Holmes and David Bednar.
But this offseason at least, Cherington insists his focus shall be on building a roster to help Skenes and what he cares about the most.
Paul Skenes will stay with the Pirates for the 2026 season, according to common supervisor Ben Cherington. Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
“That probably gives us the best chance to keep him in Pittsburgh for longer, is winning games,” Cherington said.
The Yankees’ potential to develop catchers has caught the eye of the remaining of the industry, particularly those groups that have acquired them.
This past season, there have been 11 catchers taking part in in the big leagues that had spent time in the Yankees’ group and in their catching program — Austin Wells, Ben Rice, J.C. Escarra, José Trevino, Kyle Higashioka, Ben Rortvedt, Carlos Narváez, Luis Torrens, Agustín Ramírez, Rafael Flores and Alex Jackson — led by Tanner Swanson and Aaron Gershenfeld.
Austin Wells is one of 11 catchers taking part in in the big leagues that had spent time in the Yankees’ group and in their catching program. Getty Images
“I think they legitimately are developing catchers well,” said Cherington, who acquired two — Flores and Edgleen Perez — in the deal for David Bednar. “Doesn’t mean that every catcher that comes from the Yankees is going to be a good player, but you do trust that they’ve gotten pretty good training. That’s been consistent [with] the guys we’ve had, and Rafa included in the time we’ve had him and talked to him. They’re getting pretty good training at that position.”
The Yankees also used another catching prospect, Jesus Rodriguez, to help purchase Camilo Doval from the Giants at the deadline, just as they used Ramirez (who obtained downballot NL Rookie of the Year votes Monday) as the centerpiece to get Jazz Chisholm Jr. from the Marlins at the 2024 deadline.
“They do an incredible job,” Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix said. “An incredible job with a lot of their player development, especially catching.”
The Yankees have some work to do in their bullpen this offseason, but buying Bednar at the deadline — with him being under membership control through next season — gave them a strong head start.
In 22 video games with the Yankees, Bednar posted a 2.19 ERA while taking over the nearer’s position, then pitched nicely again in the playoffs.
“He’s one of the favorites I’ve ever been around,” Cherington said. “Somebody asked me at the time of the trade, how do you think he’ll do in a big market? I said, ‘He’ll do great, because he’s got confidence, he’s accountable, he’s talented, he likes the moment.’ Good for him.”
While Ramirez positioned sixth in NL Rookie of the Year voting, another former Yankees prospect, Caleb Durbin, completed third.
The Yankees dealt the infielder to the Brewers last offseason (along with Nestor Cortes) to purchase Devin Williams, a deal that might continue to hang-out them down the highway.
“He told us right away, he’s like, ‘I’ve been overlooked my whole life,’” Brewers GM Matt Arnold said. “And that’s why we kind of loved him. It felt like the industry kept overlooking him. I think if you saw him in the playoffs, you weren’t going to overlook him. He just kept stepping up the whole year and became a guy that was really reliable for us in our lineup.”
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