BRADENTON, Fla. -- Paul Skenes will not be on the Pirates' opening day roster when the team travels to Miami later this month. Instead, he’ll be heading to the minor leagues to begin the 2024 season.
Ben Cherington delivered the news to Skenes Tuesday morning, adding that the game’s top pitching prospect will remain in major-league camp for the foreseeable future in order to continue getting work in before ultimately beginning the year with a yet-to-be-determined minor-league affiliate.
“What we want to do is put him in the best position possible to help us win games in Pittsburgh as soon as possible and then for as long as possible,” Cherington said. “We really believe we’re totally aligned with him on that and we’re very confident he’s gonna do his part.”
The decision didn’t seem to surprise Skenes, who has thrown just 6 2/3 innings at the professional level since being selected as the No. 1 overall pick in last year’s draft.
"It’s just kind of how it goes," Skenes said. "(Cherington) said it would be unprecedented if I started the year in the big leagues. Not that I don’t think I can do it, but I understand it."
Looking at the boxes that needed to be checked in order for Skenes to be in a position where the organization felt confident and safe in considering him for a major-league roster spot, Cherington said the decision for him to start the year in the minors became more clear.
“A lot of those boxes that haven’t been checked yet are not things he has full control over. It’s just a matter of where he is in his career and not having had the opportunity yet to experience everything that comes along with being a professional pitcher," Cherington said. "He hasn’t yet quite had the opportunity to adjust to a professional schedule in terms of shorter rest between starts and things like that. He’s pitched 6 2/3 professional innings, so there are just things that happen inside the game that he hasn’t yet had the chance to experience in pro ball."
Cherington continued: “Then as we looked at the total work volume last year, the innings between LSU and pro ball, we look at what’s a reasonable projection for 2024 and try to manage that for a full season. We just feel like it’s more realistic and better for us to start that process in the minor leagues. Once that became clear, it was just better to share that with him now so he can get prepared for that and we can get prepared for that. And because we also wanted him to continue to get the benefit of being around our group in major-league camp. Once you have the decision, share the decision.”
Cherington sees a benefit in Skenes continuing on in big-league camp despite the decision for him to start in the minors. It’s a different case than those of Anthony Solometo and Bubba Chandler, two other top-100 prospects who were among four players reassigned to minor-league camp Monday. Solometo and Chandler have been in the system longer, while Skenes is still getting acclimated to the professional level.
“We just think a little bit more time in major-league spring training around our staff, players, the catching group, the game-planning process, kinda everything about it, hopefully can speed that up just a little bit more,” Cherington said. “And then that’ll play into how we get the season started and what the volume progression looks like going into the season. We’ll have more details as we get closer to the season on that.”
For Skenes, nothing will change in terms of his approach as spring training progresses.
“It just comes down to going out there and pitching well every time, doing what I need to do in between starts to be ready to do that,” Skenes said, adding that he sees a huge advantage in getting to stay in big-league camp. “Just being around the guys … the nice thing about being here and being in the locker room is this is a team that we’re going to win a lot of games with, hopefully. So that’s the goal, to win a lot of games with them for a long time. That’s the biggest thing, then getting to work with them. Kind of all of it, getting to be around the guys and getting to work with them, doing everything with them.”
Skenes has made two appearances this spring, tossing a clean inning against the Orioles Thursday and allowing one run on three hits with three strikeouts in two innings of work against the Rays Monday. In his latest appearance, Skenes threw 25 of 32 pitches for strikes and hit 100-plus mph on nine occasions.
“It’s made me more confident with my stuff and the reassurance that I know my stuff is gonna play,” Skenes said. “Really happy with how they’ve gone. Just gotta build off it.”
While Skenes knew the likelihood of him making the major-league club out of spring training was low, he’s pitched with every intention of proving his value as a future big leaguer.
“I think it would be pointless to be here and not want to make the team. It would be like, ‘What are we here for?’” he said. “But, yeah, that’s the goal. The goal is to be a major leaguer and win a World Series. Do all that. This is where it starts.”
