Pirates radio host pitches Yankees-Paul Skenes trade that will stir up controversy

Remember the rumored package the New York Yankees supposedly offered the Pittsburgh Pirates for Paul Skenes last summer? Well, here we go again with pundits stoking the flames, pontificating on what it might take for the Yankees to pry away the Pirates' ace. Pittsburgh-area radio host Andrew Fillipponi has a mock trade idea that he believes Pittsburgh should strongly consider to send the 24-year-old superstar to New York.

Fillipponi proposes the Yankees send Cam Schlittler, Will Warren, George Lombard Jr., and Spencer Jones to the Pirates in exchange for Skenes. For the Pirates, who are now trying to fight for a Wild Card spot in the National League (as opposed to being mired in mediocrity a year ago), this would be a fantastic deal. Schlittler would replace Skenes atop their rotation, which is a group that needs help on the back end that Warren would be more than qualified to provide.

This is essentially almost the same framework as last year's rumor, with the only exception being swapping out top prospect Carlos Lagrange for Warren, as the latter now better fits the Pirates' timeline. However, although most of the players involved are the same, one guy's present-day value is much higher than it was before.

We're at the point where Yankees ace Cam Schlittler belongs in the same tier as Paul Skenes, other elite aces

On July 31, 2025, Schlittler had made just three big league starts and owned a 4.91 ERA. He had shown flashes and had a meteoric rise through the Yankees' minor league system during the first half of the season, but he was still very much an unknown.

That's the player the Pirates would've been acquiring in the package that veteran MLB insider and former GM Jim Bowden said they should have pulled the trigger on last year. Now, though, the perception of Schlittler, which has been backed up by his performance, is totally different.

Through his first 30 career starts, Schlittler is right there next to what Skenes did over the first 30 outings of his career. Skenes edges Schlittler ever so slightly in ERA at the start of their careers, 2.15 to 2.25, but for all intents and purposes, they're both on the same plane.

So, it's worth noting that after his first 30 starts, Skenes was considered borderline untouchable. If Schlitter's first 30 starts equal what Skenes did, and the team control and financials are all more or less the same, then why in the world would he be in a trade package along with another quality MLB starter and two top prospects to acquire a peer? It makes no sense.

It's time to acknowledge that Schlittler has ascended to the upper echelon of aces in baseball. There are no more qualifiers, no more waiting and seeing, no more hoping that he continues the trend. He's there, standing shoulder to shoulder with Skenes and Tarik Skubal as one of the very most dominant starters in MLB.

Which begs the question of why the Yankees would trade for Skenes now when they have a perfectly good version at home just waiting to be put into action?

The only reason the Yankees have to acquire another top-flight starter is to combine that hurler with Schlittler and the rest of the dominant rotation that already resides in the Bronx. Trading Schlittler to acquire another ace is laughable, and packaging him with other quality pieces to get a comparable talent is ludicrous.

Ladies and gentlemen, Cam Schlittler has arrived, and he has every single quality you could want in an ace. So, let's stop the madness. He's not leaving the Bronx, and he certainly isn't going anywhere with a trio of quality chips like Warren, Lombard Jr., and Jones serving as kickers.

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