Paul Skenes' 1-of-1 rookie card sells for more than Pirates star's salary

The ultra-rare Paul Skenes rookie card found by an 11-year-old back in January sold for a massive haul on Friday, proving the kid made the right call turning down the Pirates' offer for the card.

According to Larry Holder of The Athletic, the one-of-one card sold for $1.1 million, and the kid will get $925,000 of that total. Fanatics Collect, who held the auction, has said they plan to donate their portion of the winnings to the Los Angeles Fire Department and Red Cross to aid in wildfire recovery for the year.

That sum is more than Skenes, 22, will earn this season as the Pirates' ace. The second-year pitcher's salary in Pittsburgh is just $875,000.

The sale comes after the 11-year-old turned down the Pirates' prize package offer in return for the card, which features both Skenes' autograph and the jersey patch signifying his Major League Baseball debut from last season. The Pirates offered two season tickets behind home plate for 30 years, a softball game for 30 people complete with coaching from the Pirates' staff at PNC Park, and a Spring Training experience that includes the chance to take batting practice and warm up with the team, a meet-up with Skenes, autographed jerseys, and other experiences.

Skenes' girlfriend, LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne, also offered the chance to sit with her in her private box to watch a game if the finder of the card took the Pirates' offer. However, the kid turned down that massive haul, and opted instead for the cash.

Given the state of the Pirates franchise, and the fact that the family who found the card lives in Los Angeles, turning down the deal was probably the right call. After all, this is a team who has just three playoff berths since 1992, and is frequently one of, if not the worst team in all of baseball. They've finished over .500 just four times in that span, and while their rotation is promising, they've done virtually nothing to bolster the rest of the roster.

Given the prospect of watching this team squander a talent like Skenes, or getting a massive influx of cash, it's clear the right choice was made on this one.

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