Today’s mailbag digs into what a Paul Skenes extension could look like, whether the Yankees will extend Juan Soto, how the Mets move forward, who the White Sox should trade, and much more. Let’s get to it!
Scott asks:
If you’re Paul Skenes, what do the Pirates need to offer to convince you to sign an extension?
I happened to catch Skenes’ Wrigley Field start in-person with my kids, and it was awesome. There is a type of guy who replies to any Paul Skenes accomplishment with “When’s the Tommy John scheduled?”, and I really don’t want to align with those guys. He’s healthy and incredible right now – just enjoy it without the doomsaying.
That said, there should be an army of nerds at Paul Skenes’ agency doing pitcher actuarial type stuff in the event the Pirates come with an extension offer or already have. And the basic fact is that a list of the game’s hardest-throwing starting pitchers doubles as a graveyard of injuries.
So OK, Skenes’ injury risk is high simply because he’s a starting pitcher, and it’s even higher because he’s the hardest-throwing starting pitcher in baseball. That should be built into any contract offer. But while injuries may be up, his risk is not all that different from a pitcher five years ago.
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