The Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes continues to draw a lot of attention . Skenes just picked up a whopping $3.4 million in bonus money in the pre-arbitration bonus pool, per the Associated Press. That's a Major League Baseball record, for the National League Cy Young award winner.

Skenes is the ace of a Pirates rotation that put up some pretty impressive numbers in 2025. While the Pirates were dead last in the National League Central division, Pittsburgh's arms posted above average numbers on the mound.

The pre-arbitration bonus pool is geared at helping young players in MLB. The Pirates pitcher has now earned more than $5.5 million in two seasons, due to the pool. Skenes is up for salary arbitration after the 2026 season.

The Pirates finished the 2025 season with a

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