The Pittsburgh Pirates face renewed criticism after high school pitcher Angel Cervantes, their second-round 2025 MLB Draft pick, declined to sign with the team and chose to remain at UCLA. This decision, involving roughly $1.93 million in signing bonus money turned down, has intensified concerns surrounding the Pirates’ difficulties in attracting and retaining promising players like Paul Skenes.
Rejection Reflects Broader Organizational Challenges Amid Team Rebuild
Cervantes’ refusal to sign has drawn attention to the Pirates’ ongoing struggles to construct a competitive roster around Skenes, their most notable pitching prospect. With the franchise still rebuilding and fan frustration growing, the missed opportunity to secure Cervantes fuels skepticism about the team’s strategy and capability moving forward. One commentator expressed the widespread disappointment, stating,
Pittsburgh can’t even get the MLB Draft right,
underlining the doubts about the management’s direction. The situation casts a shadow over Skenes’ potential impact, sparking fears that he might be hindered by the lack of a strong supporting cast.
Team’s Draft Failures Signal Deep-Seated Issues Beyond the Field
This development is not just an isolated setback but part of a pattern suggesting the Pirates struggle to convince top draft picks to join their organization despite offering competitive deals. This trend raises questions about the franchise’s attractiveness to young talent and long-term vision, with other teams appearing more appealing options. As the new MLB season approaches, pressure mounts on the Pirates to improve both their on-field performance and front-office operations to restore faith in their talent acquisition process. Losing Cervantes thus signals organizational disarray that extends well beyond the loss of a single player.
Urgent Need for Pittsburgh to Reassess Draft and Development Strategies
The Pirates must treat Cervantes’ decision as a critical warning and undertake a thorough evaluation of their current approach toward scouting, drafting, and player relations. For a franchise with Pittsburgh’s history, repeated draft-related failures are unacceptable and threaten to destabilize their plans further. The club needs swift and effective changes to avoid repeating such setbacks, as continuing without modification will likely result in ongoing missed opportunities and mounting regrets.
Meanwhile, Paul Skenes must grapple with the implications of a franchise that struggles to attract promising teammates, a troubling environment for any potential star. The next steps taken by the Pirates will be pivotal in determining whether they can reverse this trend and foster the kind of team that motivates young talents to commit. Until then, the organization remains under the spotlight, scrutinized by fans and analysts alike as to its future direction and stability.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Has anyone found the Paul Skenes?
A. An 11-year-old from California discovered a unique Paul Skenes baseball card. In return, the Pirates offered him 30 years of home plate season tickets. This discovery caught the Pirates’ attention because they had been searching for this card.
Q. How many times has Paul Skenes thrown over 100?
A. He has reached speeds of 100 mph on 98 occasions. No other Triple-A player has done this more than 37 times by May 8. In the Major Leagues, only Mason Miller from the A’s is near with 97 pitches over 100 mph.
Q. Does Paul Skenes still have to serve?
A. Paul Skenes chose a career in the Major Leagues over joining the military, yet he still honors veterans with his influence. #VeteransDay | Instagram.