For the first time in years, the Pittsburgh Pirates have a shot of making it to the postseason. They are 46-45 and sit only three games back of the Miami Marlins for the final Wild Card spot in the National League. A large reason for their success has been the play of rookie Konnor Griffin. In 59 games this season, he has slashed .276/.332/.404, with five home runs, 25 RBIs, and a 101 OPS+. He is quickly becoming the face of the Pirates’ offense and is living up to the hype he had as a prospect.
But things seem to have hit a snag. On Tuesday, June 30th, the Pirates placed Griffin on the 10-day injured list due to a problem with his left hand. It has been revealed that he has suffered a torn tendon in his left ring finger. While it is possible he can play through it, he will likely miss about eight to ten weeks. This will put his return date somewhere in September. With him missing such an extended period, the Pirates should not buy at the deadline and should instead do nothing.
Pirates Shouldn’t Buy If Konnor Griffin Is Out For The Long Term
Last week, it appeared the Pirates would be buyers at the deadline. Sure, they had hit a bit of a rough patch, having only played around .500 baseball since the start of June. But this could be explained by the absence of Oneil Cruz and the uncharacteristic struggles of Paul Skenes. The thought was that if the Pirates could add a bat and a couple of bullpen arms, they had a real shot of making a run. This would fortify the roster and make them one of the better teams in the National League when they got healthy.
But not having Griffin throws a wrench into this whole plan. The hope was that Griffin could be one of the main pieces of the offense moving forward. That some extra protection in the lineup could help him take the next step in his development. This will allow him to be red hot coming down the stretch and help propel the Pirates into a playoff spot. But without Griffin in the lineup, it is yet another hole that the Pirates have to fill. It is becoming too many for them to fill in one deadline.
Even if Griffin is able to tough it out and only misses a couple of weeks, there is no guarantee that he will be able to stay on the field. This is the second time this season that he has landed on the injured list. He missed 22 games in June due to a flexor strain in his right forearm. While the sample size is small, injuries are becoming a concern for Griffin. How can you rely on Griffin to be a big part of your lineup this season if he is constantly on the injured list?
While it’s not the news Pirates fans want to hear, the best thing for the Pirates to do is to stay put at the deadline. Hope they can stay afloat over the next few weeks, and hope the players getting healthy is enough to give the team the push it needs. At the very least, they should use the last few months of the season to identify the players who can help them next season and the holes they need to fill this offseason. This will help them carry their strong player over to 2027 and beyond.
With Griffin out for an extended period of time, the Pirates are no longer in a position to be buyers at the deadline. They have too many holes to fill, so it will no longer be worth it.
