The New York Yankees have made a few splashes this offseason after losing Pete Alonso. However, they could make one more splash that rivals those made during the NBA trade deadline.
On Saturday night the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks agreed on a trade that sent Anthony Davis to the Mavericks and brought Luka Dončić to the Lakers. The move sent a shock throughout the sports world. While outlining trades in Major League Baseball that would have the same effect, FanSided’s Brandon Glick proposed this trade that would bring Paul Skenes from the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Yankees:
- Yankees receive: right-handed pitcher Paul Skenes
- Pirates receive: right-handed pitcher Gerrit Cole
“Finally, we arrive at my masterpiece,” wrote Glick. “This deal has nearly that same je ne sais quoi about it that the Doncic trade does. Cole is a 34-year-old ace fresh off an injury-plagued season with a hefty remaining contract. However, he has a history of dominance, including his 2023 season when he won the AL Cy Young award, and he’s been to the World Series twice (2019, 2024), though he lost in both efforts. Skenes is the reigning NL Rookie of the Year, a 22-year-old who just authored a 1.96 ERA in his first taste of big league action.”
Like the Lakers, the Yankees would be parting with an injury-riddled veteran for one of the brightest stars in the game. The Pirates do not hand out massive contracts generally speaking, so Skenes could be gone down the line anyways. However, trading him when he is about to hit his peak, seemingly, sounds insane. Well, that’s essentially what the Mavericks did with Dončić.
“Plus, sending Skenes, one of the game’s brightest young stars, to the league’s most storied franchise (in this case, the Yankees), just has that same ‘are you kidding me?’ feel to it that the Doncic deal had in spades,” wrote Glick. “Would the Pirates ever do this trade in a million years? No, but the same could have been said for the Mavericks with Doncic until last week.”
The NBA trade deadline is full of surprise deals and superstars getting dealt. This Yankees and Pirates proposal would rival one of the most shocking trades in NBA history.
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