Yankees' Check-In on Paul Skenes Not Tied to Livvy Dunne Apartment Report, Team Says

The New York Yankees were among fewer than five clubs that checked in on Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes this month, but the team says the contact was not prompted by recent media reports about Skenes’ girlfriend seeking an apartment in New York City.

Yankees executives briefly discussed potential packages that could have included prospects Spencer Jones and George Lombard Jr., but no serious negotiations materialized and the Pirates reiterated they had no intention of trading the reigning Cy Young Award winner. Team officials said the inquiry was a routine call rather than the start of a formal trade pursuit.

The Yankees’ outreach occurred shortly after a report that influencer Livvy Dunne had been searching for an apartment in New York, including an uncompleted bid for a historic Upper West Side residence formerly associated with Babe Ruth. According to the Yankees, the team saw that coverage but did not interpret it as evidence Skenes preferred playing in New York; officials characterized the call as low-risk due diligence.

Skenes, who emerged this season as one of baseball’s top pitchers, spent the recent winter living in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and in Georgia. The Pirates’ front office has consistently signaled that Skenes is not available, and the brief inquiries from other clubs did not change that stance.

Less than five teams checked in overall, according to league sources, and the Yankees were the only club known to have been willing to discuss Jones and Lombard as part of a package. No team proceeded to formal trade talks with Pittsburgh, and no offers were lodged publicly.

The episode underscores how off-field coverage can prompt questions around top young players, even when the player’s team has no intention of engaging in trade discussions. For now, Skenes remains with the Pirates as the regular season moves forward and clubs continue to assess pitching depth ahead of the trade deadline window.