Report: Pirates Discussing Extension With Top Prospect Konnor Griffin
The Pittsburgh Pirates are trying to sign top prospect Konnor Griffin to a long-term extension.
The Pirates have discussed a deal for as long as nine years and more than $100 million in total value, according to Jonathan Mayo of MLB Pipeline. While exact figures are not known, any deal would surely eclipse the franchise-record $106.75 million contract Bryan Reynolds received three years ago.
Pittsburgh selected Griffin with the ninth pick in the 2024 draft out of High School in Mississippi. He quickly established himself as the consensus top prospect in baseball after a stellar first professional season in which he hit .333 with a .941 OPS, 23 doubles, four triples, 21 home runs, 94 RBI and 65 steals in 122 games across three levels.
Griffin is currently fighting to crack the club’s Opening Day roster as the starting shortstop. Any extension would surely boost his odds of breaking camp with the Pirates but would not necessarily guarantee anything.
So far this spring, Griffin is batting .184 with an .805 OPS, a team-high four home runs and nine RBI, which are tied with Ryan O’Hearn for the most on the club. Griffin is set to play in the Spring Breakout game for the Pirates against the Detroit Tigers on Friday night.
From the Pirates’ perspective, extending a player yet to reach Triple-A would be a gamble but would be a worthwhile one given Griffin’s upside as a potential superstar. For Griffin, while he could sacrifice potential earnings down the road, an extension would give him a substantial guarantee and allow him still to reach free agency in his prime.
While signing prospects to extensions prior to their MLB debut is rare it’s not unheard of. One recent example is Jackson Chourio, who signed an eight-year extension with the Milwaukee Brewers during the 2023-24 offseason. Promising Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony inked an eight-year extension last summer shortly after making his debut.
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Yes YES YES……………..
I just watched his first at bat in the Futures Game, and it was bad. He’s only batting .184, with a good bit of strikeouts. I hope we aren’t being fed a lot of false hype.
Yet, it’s up in the air if he’s even on opening day roster.