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Paul Skenes had the baseball world buzzing after quotes from an anonymous Pittsburgh Pirates teammate went viral on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cTrust me, he wants to play for the Yankees,\u201d the teammate told NJ.com\u2019s Randy Miller<\/a>. \u201cI\u2019ve heard him say it multiple times.\u201d<\/p>\n According to Miller, the Pirates \u201cunderstand\u201d that Skenes wants to be a Yankee.<\/p>\n While the quote created a massive uproar online, it shouldn\u2019t have. It\u2019s arguably the most obvious outcome in the world \u2014 of course Skenes wants to play for the Yankees.<\/p>\n A few months ago, it was reported that Skenes and former LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne attempted to purchase Babe Ruth\u2019s old apartment<\/a> in New York. The couple was declined, but it raised eyebrows about the 23-year-old Cy Young winner already having eyes on the Big Apple.<\/p>\n Dunne has eight million followers on TikTok and an additional five million on Instagram. Living in Pittsburgh isn\u2019t exactly ideal for that kind of lifestyle.<\/p>\n Relationship and personal life aside, the Yankees have something the Pirates don\u2019t \u2014 cash.<\/p>\n The Yankees are expected to rank fourth in MLB payroll heading into 2026, while the Pirates are currently 29th.<\/p>\n While Pirates owner Bob Nutting claims to have a plan to keep Skenes in Pittsburgh, the Yankees could easily make an offer the Pirates couldn\u2019t match.<\/p>\n Skenes isn\u2019t set to hit free agency until 2029. That\u2019s where the good news ends for the Pirates, who finished 20 games under .500 despite having a Cy Young pitcher entering his prime.<\/p>\n Recent reports indicate the Pirates are open to spending in free agency this offseason<\/a>, but the payroll is estimated at $30\u201340 million. Even at $40 million, that would rank only 25th in MLB.<\/p>\n