The New York Yankees had a relatively quiet offseason, mainly only re-signing their key players and making small changes to the bullpen ahead of the 2026 MLB season. However, this obviously only came after the club was successful in their blockbuster trade.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Yankees made a run to acquire starting pitcher Paul Skenes from the Pittsburgh Pirates before the MLB trade deadline. The club's search was fueled by the belief that Skenes eventually wanted to pitch for New York.
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However, according to Heyman, the attempt to acquire Skenes was immediately rejected. Pittsburgh shut down negotiations before they began, not even allowing New York to make an offer on Skenes. It has since been made clear to the league's teams that Skane is not available.
Heyman says New York has not given up hope of landing the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner. He will be eligible for arbitration for the first time next winter and with two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Subal being awarded a $32 million salary in his final year of arbitration, there is at least some expectation that Skane's salary and long-term contract demands will be too much for Pittsburgh.
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With MLB expected to eventually impose a salary cap under the next collective bargaining agreement, Pittsburgh has demonstrated a greater willingness to spend. The club acquired Brandon Lowe this offseason, while also adding Ryan O'Hearn and Marcell Ozuna to further strengthen the lineup.
New York had also made a previous attempt to acquire Skubal from the Tigers. However, Detroit's asking price was so exceptionally high that the Yankees abandoned their pursuit. For the time being, the club is moving forward with its current rotation, while keeping its options open for future additions to Scubble or Skenes.
