Skenes is, the Pirates are under real pressure to compete while he's still under contract through 2029. They are caught in a tough position though,

The Yankees have the fourth-best record in the AL, while the Pirates are third-worst in the NL. Furthermore, Pittsburgh hasn’t made the playoffs since 2015, while New York won the AL pennant last season. The former is rebuilding, while the latter is in win-now mode.

But it sounds like the Chicago Cubs are willing to do that in pursuit of more pitching. USA Today's Bob Nightengale reports the the Cubs want Pirates' righty Mitch Keller, and tha

One of whom is two-time All-Star closer David Bednar, who The Athletic’s Stephen J. Nesbitt predicts will no longer be a Pirate after Thursday. “The reasons not to trade Bednar amount to little more than: He’s from here.