The young collector who scored 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 features Skenes’ autograph and a patch from a game-worn jersey — up for auction.
The pirates had prepared a package which included 30 years of season tickets behind home plate at PNC Park and the chance to play a softball game on the field in exchange for the card.
Skenes’ girlfriend, LSU gymnast and influencer Livvy Dunne, also offered the card owner the opportunity. participate in a game with her in a luxury suite at the ballpark during one of Skenes’ departures.
While the collector wrote in a journal shared by Topps that getting the card back was a “ dream come true”, that dream apparently did not include spending the next three decades attending games at PNC Park.
The team posted to X after the decision that they were “disappointed” but offered to invite the fan to a game during the 2025 season.
Fanatics Collect, which will handle the card’s auction in March, said it will donate proceeds from the sale to fire relief funds in the Los Angeles area.
The card could have a pretty high value considering the potentially bright future of Skenes, 22, who finished third in NL Cy Young Award voting after a standout rookie season.
The first overall pick in the 2023 amateur draft has made his major league debut in May and put together one of the most impressive rookie seasons in recent memory. Skenes was chosen as the National League starting pitcher in the All-Star Game after just 11 starts and finished 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA in 23 games.
Skenes said this weekend he hadn’t thought about the potential to sign a long-term contract to remain in Pittsburgh, instead saying his goal is to help the Pirates take a step toward contention in 2025. He is eligible for free agency after the 2029 season.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
