Building a blockbuster Dodgers-Pirates trade package to bring Paul Skenes to LA amid rumors

MLB insider and general knower of all things baseball Jeff Passan stirred up a firestorm when he strongly advocated that the Pirates trade Paul Skenes, who is basically the only reason anyone has to watch the Pirates these days.

Passan argued the obvious — Skenes is years away from free agency but the Pirates, under owner Bob Nutting, will never fork over the money to extend him — but that coming from as high-profile a guy as Passan immediately set off speculation.

The Pirates have since said that they "remain determined" to build around Skenes (as if they've been doing that in the first place), and FanSided insider Robert Murray said that he doesn't believe a trade, if it happens at all, will happen this season. Any trade package for Skenes, who won't be a free agent until after the 2029 season, would have to be overwhelming and would completely gut the top of the buying team's prospect pipeline.

But the Dodgers have the fourth-best farm system in baseball per MLB Pipeline and the third-best per Baseball America, and they don't have a lot of room for their top prospects to grow into the majors. Could they go for it?

What would a realistic trade package to bring Paul Skenes to the Dodgers look like?

The Pirates wouldn't be able to accept anything less than the top three players in any team's pipeline. In the Dodgers' case, that's Dalton Rushing, Josue De Paula, and Zyhir Hope. Rushing's promotion to the majors and solid start would definitely be enticing to the Pirates, who are basically at a dead end with Joey Bart and former first-round pick Henry Davis.

Letting go of Kellon Lindsey would ostensibly make the Dodgers' turn through the 2024 draft a wash, but he's had a decent amount of early success in Single-A. River Ryan may not be the same pitcher after recovering from Tommy John undergone last August, but his four starts last season (1.33 ERA) were electric, and he would be immediately be ready to join a major league rotation after recovery.

Hyeseong Kim would be the major-league-ready bat that could push a deal over the line. James Outman would probably be offered first, but he's floundered so much in the majors over the past two years that perhaps not even the Pirates would be willing to take him on if it meant giving up Skenes.

This package would be massive and, most likely, impossible. Even without a lot of clarity for the futures of their prospects, the Dodgers would probably prefer to wait until Skenes gets to free agency, when they can throw the full force of their huge wallet at him.