The young collector who created a one-of-a-kind baseball card featuring National League Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes has turned down a trade offer from the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Topps announced Friday that the 11-year-old from the Los Angeles area had declined the deal and was instead going to put the card—which includes Skane’s autograph and a patch from a game-worn jersey—up for auction. For.
The Pirates had put together a package that included a chance to play a softball game on the field in exchange for 30 years of season tickets and cards behind home plate at PNC Park.
Skeen’s girlfriend, LSU gymnast and influencer Livi Dunne, also offered the card owner the opportunity to take her to a game in a luxury suite at the ballpark during Skeen’s debut.
While the collector wrote in a journal entry shared by Topps that nabbing the card was a “dream come true,” that dream apparently did not include spending the next three decades attending games at PNC Park. Was.
The team posted on Twitter after the decision that it was a “bomb”, but offered to have fans at a game sometime during the 2025 season.
The Radical Collection, which will handle the card auction in March, said it will donate its proceeds from the sale to fire relief funds in the Los Angeles area.
This card could hold a lot of value given the potentially bright future for the 22-year-old Skane, who finished third in NL Cy Young Award voting after an excellent rookie season.
The first pick in the 2023 draft made his major league debut in May and put together one of the most impressive rookie seasons in recent memory. Schein was selected as the NL’s starting pitcher in the All-Star Game after making only 11 starts and finished 11–3 with a 1.96 ERA in 23 games.
Skenes said over the weekend that he hasn’t thought about the potential of signing a long-term contract to stay in Pittsburgh, saying his focus is on helping the Giants take a step toward contending in 2025. He is eligible for free agency. 2029 season.