Paul Skenes Weighs In on the Upcoming Collective Bargaining Agreement

It's no secret. The elephant in the room when it comes to the 2026 MLB season is the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement between players and owners. This agreement officially expires on December 1, and it's a safe bet that fans would love to wake up one fine morning to a notification on their phones stating that both sides have reached a multi-year agreement. But hey, only time will tell!

It's not just the fans who are in the dark. There are the owners and, above all, the players. We're talking about their livelihoods, after all. Like the rest of us, they have mortgages to pay and families to feed. Speaking of players, there's one—and not just any player—who has spoken out on the subject. We're talking about Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes.

The All-Star player made a very human statement (see link X). For those who don't speak—let alone read—English, basically, he's saying that many people will be affected by the upcoming collective bargaining agreement. This includes coaches, therapists, former players, and those who haven't yet made it to MLB. Skenes also emphasizes that we shouldn't just think about ourselves, but about all the other people who are affected.

Huge repercussions, indeed

It's great that a player of Paul Skenes' caliber takes a human approach and has a human perspective during negotiations. An athlete like him knows full well that he'll pocket hundreds of millions of dollars in his upcoming contracts. Teams will be fighting over his services if he and the Pirates decide to go their separate ways. He could be selfish and not care about others. But when you read between the lines, you realize that this young man, who just turned 24, is aware that not everyone has his opportunities and his privileges.

None of this means that Skenes is in favor of a salary cap. Or that he's against it. Because, yes, the crux of these negotiations is everything related to the salary floor and ceiling. It simply means that the Cy Young Award winner is aware that many lives will be impacted once a deal is reached. Let's hope he's not the only one who sees it this way!

That said, the further the season goes, the more the elephant in the room will make its presence felt. And everyone is well aware of that. 

• Yohendrick Piñango to Triple-A.

• Addison Barger could play in the minors on Thursday.

• Yimi Garcia: He may need to take a break before resuming pitching.

• Max Scherzer is feeling better.

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