Top Prospect Konnor Griffin Officially Signs Largest Contract in Pirates History

Five days after his major league debut, shortstop Konnor Griffin has agreed to a record-setting deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Griffin, MLB Pipeline's No. 1 overall prospect for 2026, has signed a nine-year contract extension that will keep him in Pittsburgh through at least 2034, the Pirates announced on Wednesday. The extension is reportedly worth $140 million, while "escalators could take the deal as high as $150 million," according to Pirates insider Jason Mackey. That would make this the largest contract in Pirates history, according to Spotrac, surpassing the eight-year, $106.75 million deal signed by outfielder Bryan Reynolds in April 2023.

"It feels great knowing I will be a Pittsburgh Pirate for a long time," Griffin said, as reported by Mackey. "The goal is to win every year. And I believe we can do that. It will be nice to have everything behind me and now I can just go play baseball."

The 19-year-old turned heads last year in his first full minor league season. But with just 21 games played at Double-A, the Pirates chose to have the young shortstop begin 2026 in Triple-A. After just five games with the Indianapolis Indians, though, Pittsburgh officially called him up to the majors. Reports of a record-breaking contract extension surrounded the news of the 2024 first-round draft pick's promotion, but nothing was official until Wednesday. And now, as Griffin pointed out, all that's left to do is play ball.

How has Konnor Griffin played in his first few MLB games?

Apr 6, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin (6) turns a double play over San Diego Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth (9) during the third inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Griffin has only played in five big league games to date, and he's currently 3-for-17 at the plate with three RBIs and two runs scored. After hitting an RBI double in his first MLB at-bat, the 19-year-old went 0-for-10 in his next three games. But on Tuesday, the young shortstop turned in the first multi-hit game of his career, including a 113.2 mph two-run single, which is the highest exit velocity for any ball hit by a Pirate so far in 2026, according to MLB Pipeline.

Despite his relatively slow start offensively, Griffin has looked solid in the field, notably making a pair of diving plays up the middle on defense. He still won't turn 20 until later this month, and growing pains are to be expected as he adjusts to playing in the big leagues. But with his record-setting contract now official, Pirates fans know they'll get to enjoy all the early steps of Griffin's journey in the MLB.