Details of Konnor Griffin's Pirates Deal Revealed
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates and Konnor Griffin agreed that they want a future together, one that won't come cheap either.
Griffin signed a nine-year contract with the Pirates officially on April 8, with the figure at $140 million that could go up to $150 million with escalators, according to source. It serves as the biggest contract in Pirates history, shattering the previous record set by outfielder Bryan Reynolds of eight years, $106.75 million that he signed on April 25, 2023.
He will also reportedly have a $12 million signing bonus in the contract, according to Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He will make $5 million initially and then both $3.5 million each for the following two seasons in 2027 and 2028.
Griffin will make around $39.5 million for his arbitration seasons from 2029-31 and then his free agent seasons are worth $81.5 million, 2032-34, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
What This Says About Konnor Griffin's Extension
The Pirates keeping Griffin around signals their desire towards having him not only as a main star for the future, but also to make a financially smart decision around someone who could become one of the best players in baseball sooner rather than later.
Griffin would've made the minimum salary for a major leaguer ($780,000 in 2026), over the three seasons from 2026-28 for pre-arbitration. Him getting his $12 million signing bonus ensures he makes almost $10 million more than he would've had he not signed a deal.
The arbitration years are valued at around $13.17 million AAV, where he and the Pirates would've had to agree on a salary for the upcoming season (2029-31) or gone to an arbitration panel, who would side with either Griffin or the Pirates on the salary figure.
Pittsburgh getting this deal done also ensures that they take up three seasons of free agency away and keep him around through the time he is 28 years old, which also gives Griffin a chance to sign another big contract.
The $81.5 million figure is about $27.17 million AAV, which is a solid figure for Griffin, but also something the Pirates won't mind paying a player they see as an MVP candidate down the line.
Griffin's extension also comes as a compromise from both sides, according to Rosenthal, as the Pirates wanted 10 years and Griffin's agency, Excel Sports Management, wanted eight years.
The $140 million also worked more for the Pirates and Griffin's team, with no options included, which guarantees more money and an earlier timeline towards free agency.
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.