A young baseball card enthusiast turned down a trade offer from the Pittsburgh Pirates after acquiring an incredible 11-year-old baseball card featuring National League Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes. The collector, who resides in Southern California, declined the deal and instead put the card up for auction. The Pirates had offered the collector a package including 30 years’ worth of season tickets at PNC Park and the chance to play a softball game on field during exchange. Skenes’ girlfriend, LSU gymnast and influencer Livvy Dunne, even arranged luxury suite tickets with her in a game during one of Skenes’ starts.
The collector expressed that while the card was “a dream come true,” it wasn’t meant to include spending the next three decades at PNC Park. The Pirates were reportedly bummed but assured they’d have the fan attend a game during the 2025 season. Fanatics Collect, handling the auction, will donate proceeds to local fire relief efforts in Los Angeles.
Skenes, a former MLB prospect with an impressive rookie season and strong potential, remains focused on helping the Pirates contending in 2025 after this incident. He is eligible for free agency after the 2029 season.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/no-deal-young-collector-nabbed-231337279.html