Bob Nutting Never Doubted Pirates Superstar Deal
In this story:
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates just made their biggest signing in franchise history and owner Bob Nutting couldn't wait to announce it.
The Pirates officially revealed that they signed shortstop Konnor Griffin to a nine-year contract, worth $140 million and up to $150 million with escalators, a massive commitment to a teenager.
Griffin's contract is also the most-expensive in Pirates history, breaking the previous record that Bryan Reynolds set back on April 25, 2023, with his extension for eight years, $106.75 million.
Pirates owner Bob Nutting spoke at the press conference about his desire for keeping Griffin around as a key part of their future, but that he wasn't alone in that desire in the front office and the organizationa as a whole.
Nutting thanked those he works with, particularly those who know Griffin better in terms of his game and personality, for making sure they made the right decision in committing the resources they did to their top prospect.
"I don't think there was a specific moment, but I think it was really clear to the organization, to our baseball ops team, to the development team, to the scouting team," Nutting said on wanting to sign Griffin to an extension.
"It's an army of people who took time to understand not only the player, but the person, to try to look behind. And my job is to make sure we've asked the questions, looked under the rocks, made sure that we've looked through. And I have a tremendous amount of faith in that process and those people and that leadership. It seems to me that at this scale, it is going to come together as a process. And as I said, I just couldn't be more pleased that we got to where we did."
Nutting Wanted Deal Done As Soon As Possible
The deal for Griffin serves as a big change for a franchise like the Pirates, normally towards or at the bottom of payroll amongst the 30 MLB teams.
Pirates fans have criticized Nutting in the past for his frugality when it comes to building a winning team, which was common in a disappointing 2025 campaign, with various demands to sell the team via plan, graffiti, or more commonly in chants at PNC Park.
A deal like this is a massive one for the Pirates, but also comes after an active offseason from the front office, including signing free agents like Ryan O'Hearn to a two-year, $29 million deal and Marcell Ozuna to a one-year, $12 million contract.
It showed a commitment from the Pirates towards trying to compete this season and with a great pitching staff led by Paul Skenes, they are 7-5 in the first 12 games of 2026, not a bad start at all.
Nutting, normally not someone that speaks often in the press, was more than glad to for this occasion, remarking on his desire to get the deal done and that signing Griffin is a big way they'll be better off going forward.
"I normally wouldn't correct Ben in public, but I didn't just pester him to find out when it was going to get started, I pestered him to find out when it was going to get finished. In this case, finishing is more important," Nutting said in his statement during the press conference.
"It's an important day for Pittsburgh. It's an important day for the Pirates and an important day for our future. I think we're really accomplishing two important things. One is reflecting the absolute sense of urgency for 2026 to make this team better now. I think there's a real sense and belief, and we've seen in a small sample size Konnor [being on the] team now makes a real difference in a year where we need to be better, are better and have full commitment into a team that's taken a long time to put the foundation in place.
"This is an important step for 2026 as we look at right now. But obviously this a long-term commitment. It's a long-term commitment to where we're headed as an organization, where we're headed with this team. Being able to impact now and ensure the future has me particularly excited. This obviously is an unusual and dramatic step for the Pittsburgh Pirates. So I'm excited. I hope our fans are excited. I hope the city is excited. I know the organization is excited."
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.