How Other Top Pirates Extensions Panned Out
The big news of the day on Wednesday was the Pittsburgh Pirates signed top prospect Konnor Griffin to a nine year, $140 million extension with escalators that could push the total value to $150 million.
The contract is a franchise record, both in total value and length, and Griffin looks like a worthy candidate to receive such a deal.
At 19 years old, Griffin is considered the to prospect in baseball after flying through the minor leagues last season. He was called up to the big leagues after only five games at Triple-A and joined the Pirates as a potential cornerstone of the franchise.
The Pirates have given out some notable extensions throughout the years. Here’s how the five most notable panned out.
Bryan Reynolds: 6 years, $106.75M (2023-30, $20M club option for ’31)
Prior to Griffin’s deal, Reynolds had been the highest-paid Pirates player in franchise history after putting pen to paper in April 2023.
The early returns on the extension were positive. Reynolds ended the 2023 season with a solid .263/.330/.460 batting line and led the Pirates in runs, hits, doubles (tied with two others), RBI and slugging percentage.
The following year, Reynolds was named an All-Star for the second time in his career and ended the year batting .275/.344/.447 with 29 doubles, three triples, 24 home runs and 88 RBI.
Last year, however, Reynolds regressed and had the worst statistical full-season of his MLB career. While he hit a career-high 38 doubles, he hit just .245 with a .720 OPS (99 OPS+) and 16 home runs, his lowest total since also going deep 16 times as a rookie in 2019.
Through 12 games to start this year, Reynolds is slashing .244/.352/.400 (114 OPS+) with two home runs and five RBI.
Mitch Keller: 5 years, $77M (2024-28)
Less than a year after extending Reynolds, the Pirates made another long-term commitment to secure an anchor of their starting rotation.
Keller turned around his early-career struggles and was named an All-Star in 2023. He’s now the veteran of a rotation that is otherwise full of younger arms.
The right-hander finished the 2024 season at 11-12 with a 4.25 ERA in 31 starts. Last year, he had a woeful 6-15 record but a respectable 4.19 ERA and matched a career-high with 32 starts. Each year, Keller started strong but faded during the second half.
It’s again been a strong start for Keller this year. Through his first three outings of the season, he’s 1-0 with a 1.00 ERA and has held opponents to a .188 batting average and a .481 OPS.
His greatest strength is that he takes the ball every fifth day and keeps the Pirates in the game. While an AAV of nearly $15.5 million is pretty rich for the Pirates, that’s about the going rate for such services.
Ke’Bryan Hayes: 8 years, $70M (2022-29, $12M club option for ’30)
Hayes got the ball rolling on a recent run of extensions as the first to sign in April 2022.
Combined between the first three seasons of his new deal, Hayes totaled 356 games and posted a .251/.304/.370 batting line with 64 doubles, 10 triples, 26 home runs, 127 RBI and 41 stolen bases.
While his offense lacked, you won’t find a better defensive third baseman in the sport. Hayes won his first Gold Glove for the Pirates in 2023 after leading the league with a .984 fielding percentage and posted 21 defensive runs saved.
Last year, Hayes again struggled offensively and the Pirates traded him to the Cincinnati Reds at the deadline. He was again named a Gold Glove winner but his offense continues to lack. So far this year, he is just 3 for 31.
Jason Kendall: 6 years, $60M (2001-06)
For over 20 years, Kendall was the highest-paid player in franchise history until Hayes’ deal eclipsed his total value. It was the first real major splash for the Pirates on a contract ever.
Kendall is one of the most prolific catchers in franchise history. In three years with the Pirates after signing his extension, Kendall hit .291 with a .362 on-base percentage, 76 doubles, eight triples, 19 home runs, 155 RBI and was the MLB leader in games played behind the plate from 2002-03.
But after the 2003 season, the Pirates traded Kendall to the Oakland Athletics for Mike Redman, Arthur Rhodes and cash considerations.
Andrew McCutchen: 6 years, $51.5M (2012-17, $14.75M club option for ’18)
No contract has worked out better for the Pirates than the one they gave McCutchen, who became the face of the franchise and led the Pirates to their only three playoff appearances since the early ’90s during the duration of the deal.
McCutchen was named an All-Star for the second time in his career in the first year of the extension. The following year, he was named the National League MVP and was once again an All-Star, the third of five-straight trips to the Midsummer Classic from 2011-15.
He also won four Silver Sluggers, a Gold Glove and the Roberto Clemente Award during his peak as one of the best players in the sport.
The Pirates exercised McCutchen’s club option for 2018 but eventually traded him to the San Francisco Giants later that offseason in a deal that landed them Reynolds.
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