Yankees' semi-desperate Paul Skenes trade package could hint at future chase

There is no price that feels right to acquire four seasons of Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes, but that hasn't stopped the New York Yankees from sniffing around. As MLB insider Jon Heyman noted this week, the Pirates' reticence to deal scared off almost everybody from even the "exploratory phone call stage." Brian Cashman was not among the terrified.

According to recent reporting from Jon Heyman, digging up some post-trade deadline dirt one month later, the Yankees called the Pirates about Skenes this summer, despite being rebuffed. A handful of teams tried anyway, and the Yankees attempted to center their initial offer around both George Lombard Jr. and Spencer Jones, a player Heyman had previously reported they would only be willing to deal for Skenes.

Heyman also scuttled the rumor that the Yankees' interest was in any way related to Skenes' girlfriend Livvy Dunne shopping for New York apartments this summer. Nothing is imminent, of course. Nothing is even approaching a precursor to imminence. Also, the Mets play in New York.

Yankees' trade package for Paul Skenes revealed (and Pirates said no, obviously)

If there ever comes a time when the Pirates resign themselves to Skenes' availability, the Yankees are going to have to come to play with a trade package that supersizes the one floated above. Whoever their Nos. 1 and 2 prospects are on the day of the deal will have to be included. Same with Nos. 3-through-5 and one or two young MLB-ready pieces. The current iteration of such a deal would probably involve Lombard Jr., Jones, Cam Schlittler, Luis Gil, Jasson Dominguez, and a few lottery tickets.

That iteration won't happen, either. But, again, it doesn't hurt the Yankees to try, especially as Dunne continues to enjoy the finer things about New York City life. Maybe one day, the time will come for her to tell Paul that she's grown romantic about 3:00 am car alarms and skittering rats bustling through mounds of garbage, and that she never wants to leave. How romantic!

And, when that day comes, the Yankees will be there. And the Pirates will also be there, telling them to add Jose Caballero to the trade package.