The Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday announced that right-hander Paul Skenes, the LSU product whom the Pirates made No. 1 overall pick of this year's MLB Draft, has been placed on the minor-league development list and will not pitch again this season.
Regarding the move, the club released the following statement from general manager Ben Cherington:
"We're excited and encouraged by the positive things Paul has been able to accomplish in his short time in the Pirates organization. He's checked all of the boxes we aimed for him to check during the 2023 season.
"The goal now is to focus on a complete off-season in preparation for his first full professional year in 2024."
As the name implies, the development list for minor-leaguers is designed to aid the player's skills growth. It is almost always not a repository for injured players. Given Skenes' substantial workloads during his junior season at LSU earlier this year, the move is probably on some level about limiting his high-stress pitches in his first professional season. As well, players on the development list can work on specific facets of their game without having to do so in a competitive setting and without compromising the roster flexibility of their team.
Since being drafted and signing with the Pirates, the 21-year-old Skenes has worked 6 2/3 innings spread across three different levels, maxing out at Double-A. Over that handful of frames, he's put up a 5.40 ERA with 10 strikeouts and two walks. Skenes has ace upside and figures to be a fast mover in his first full professional season in 2024. None of what happened Tuesday figures to alter his timeline for arriving in Pittsburgh, possibly at some point next year.
