Pirates' Ben Cherington Clarifies Konnor Griffin Extension Reports
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PITTSBURGH — Konnor Griffin is the best prospect in baseball and could feature at shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates for the long-term.
Griffin and the Pirates have reportedly had extensions talks and even agreed to nine-year, $140 million deal, which Buster Olney of ESPN reported the day Griffin earned his MLB callup on April 2.
The Pirates haven't made anything official, as Griffin makes his fifth start at shortstop, including his MLB debut vs. the Baltimore Orioles in the home opener on April 3 at PNC Park.
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington spoke with reporters about extension talks with Griffin and while Cherington didn't confirm anything, they do see Griffin as a player is someone they could eventually keep for the future.
"As you know, it's not something we talk about publicly," Cherington said. "I think about past experience with things like this, when they happen, it's usually some combination of the player being open and interested, the team having a high level of belief and conviction in the player, and then having organizational alignment around that. I do think some of those ingredients are in place with Konnor, and so that would give me a level of hope, potentially. But we don't have anything more to share right now."
Why Both Sides Would Want An Extension
Olney's reporting of the extension signals that the Pirates and Griffin may already be done on the extension, but there are always some other finer details that still aren't complete
The Pirates, if they sign Griffin to a long-term extension, will easily break their franchise record contract, which outfielder Bryan Reynolds set with an eight-year, $106.75 million extensions signed on April 25, 2023.
Griffin and the Pirates both have reasons for why they would want to sign an extension, earlier rather than later, which each party benefits from.
The Pirates would get a generational talent through the 2034 season and for an AAV of 15.5 million, which is a reasonable price for someone like Griffin, who should develop into a great hitter and defender, plus a speedster on the basepaths.
Pittsburgh would pay more than they would if they went through pre-arbitration and arbitration, which is the first six service years of a player's time in the major leagues, but take three free agency years off of Griffin.
Griffin would make a lump sum of money already at just 19 years old and still get a chance to earn another mega contract before he turns 30 years old.
He would also become the face of the franchise, along with 2025 National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes, and not have to worry about contract negotitations.
The Pirates also want to get an extension done earlier, to keep the cost down, and show the fans their commitment towards their best young talent.
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.