Paul Skenes Gave Pirates Fans A Fun Offseason Look Away From Baseball

Deck: Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes and gymnast-turned-actress Livvy Dunne delight fans with their creative holiday-inspired Halloween costumes, celebrating both their sports successes and upcoming projects.

Paul Skenes and Livvy Dunne leaned all the way into a holiday crossover for Halloween, and the result was straight out of one of the most recognizable Christmas movies of the last two decades.

Skenes, the Pirates ace, dressed as Buddy the Elf, while Dunne matched the theme by going as a Mrs. Butterworth's syrup bottle. The couple shared the look on social media, turning Halloween into a nod to the 2003 comedy Elf, starring Will Ferrell.

Skenes’ costume hit the details: the green outfit, pointed hat, tights and boots that define Buddy’s look. He even carried a plate of spaghetti, a clear reference to the character’s famously odd food habits.

Dunne’s costume played off the same joke, with her dressed as a bottle of Mrs. Butterworth's pancake syrup. It tied directly to Buddy’s obsession with maple syrup and gave the pair a playful version of one of the movie’s best-known running gags.

The Halloween post came as both of them are in the middle of major career moments. Skenes finished his 2026 season with a 3.82 ERA, 200 strikeouts, 49 walks and 174.1 innings pitched across 32 starts, numbers that underline how central he’s become for Pittsburgh on the mound.

Dunne, meanwhile, is moving into a different spotlight. The former LSU standout is set for her acting debut in Fox’s upcoming Baywatch reboot, where she will play Grace in a recurring role. The series is scheduled to premiere on January 6, 2027.

For one night, though, the focus was on the costumes - and on a Halloween look that came with a Christmas-season twist.

In Other News...

Pirates Face A Tough Bullpen Decision With Derek Diamond

Derek Diamonds rise through the Pirates system has put him squarely on the radar at a tricky time for the organization. The right-hander was recognized as the clubs Kent Tekulve Reliever of the Year after a strong minor league season, and that kind of progress tends to force a front office to make harder choices than it would like.

Now comes the part Pittsburgh has to sort through before the Rule 5 Draft, when eligible prospects can be taken by other teams if they are left unprotected. The Pirates have limited room on the 40-man roster and more than one player to consider, so Diamonds case is part performance, part timing, and part roster math, with the final call carrying real consequences for the bullpen picture ahead. [Read more 🡒]

Pirates Face A Rotation Question That Could Test Their Offseason Plan

The Pirates offseason plan has already pointed toward pitching depth, and the latest wrinkle is the shape of their rotation. Right now, Pittsburghs starting group is all right-handed, which leaves the club open to adding a lefty if the right opportunity comes along. That search fits with a front office that has also been weighing internal options, including the possibility of promoting rookies, while trying to keep the staff balanced for the long haul.

One name that has surfaced in that conversation is Foster Griffin, coming off a strong 2026 season split between the Nationals and Guardians. The fit is easy to understand from Pittsburghs side, but so is the challenge: any pursuit will have to be measured against what the market asks for and how much the Pirates want to commit to a pitcher who would be brought in as part of a broader rotation puzzle rather than as a simple plug-and-play answer. [Read more 🡒]