Pirates Take a Risk Signing Konnor Griffin to Long-Term Extension

Not even a week into his major league career, Konnor Griffin achieved something most can only dream of. On Wednesday, the Pittsburgh Pirates announced they had agreed to ink Griffin to a nine-year deal worth $140 million. This will keep him in Pittsburgh until the 2034 season and will pay him an annual salary of $15.5 Million. It is the largest contract the Pirates have ever given to a player, beating out Bryan Reynolds deal of eight years for $106.75 million. 

While this seems like a crazy contract for a guy who has only played in five MLB games, this has become a trend. For the past couple of years, we have seen teams give long-term extensions to top prospects with little to no MLB experience. This year alone, we saw the Seattle Mariners and Milwaukee Brewers give big extensions to their top prospects before they even made their major league debut. This is a very risky gamble for teams and could set them back for years. 

Konnor Griffin is the latest in a risky trend sweeping baseball 

This trend was popularized by the Atlanta Braves in the late 2010s. For years, they were known for locking up their young superstars to team-friendly deals. Guys like Ronald Acuna Jr., Ozzie Albies, Michael Harris II, and Spencer Strider all signed long-term contracts and have been key members of the Braves’ core. This strategy has led to a lot of success, as since 2018, the Braves have made the playoffs seven times and won the World Series in 2021.  

This strategy may have worked for the Braves, but that does not mean it will work for everyone else. At the end of the day, these guys are only prospects. While they may play well in the minors and look like a good major league player, we won’t know for sure until they actually get to the majors. There are plenty of examples of former can’t-miss prospects who were unable to have the same success in the Majors.  

Look at Kristian Campbell of the Boston Red Sox. He signed an eight-year deal worth $60 million just under a week into his MLB career. But he has struggled in the bigs, slashing .223/.319/.346 with six home runs, 19 RBIs, and an OPS+ of 88 in 67 games for the Sox last season. He was also so bad in Spring Training that he started the 2026 season in Triple-A, and Alex Cora said he would have to play better to make the majors again.    

Now, a big market team like the Red Sox can eat a bad contract. But teams like the Pirates and Brewers do not have the same luxury. These are teams that are famous for low payrolls and do not have the financial flexibility to eat a bad deal. If Griffin struggles in the majors and does not turn into the player the Pirates expect, it will ruin them. The front office will constantly point at this as the reason why they do not spend in free agency, and they will be stuck in an endless rebuild. This is a lot of pressure to put on a young player like Griffin.

Although Griffin could be the future face of the Pirates, signing him to an extension was a gamble. It could be a move that keeps the Pirates in the basement of the NL Central for years to come.