Pittsburgh Pirates’ Konnor Griffin takes infield practice before making his Major League Baseball debut in the Pirates’ home-opener against the Baltimore Orioles in Pittsburgh, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Konnor Griffin is with the Pittsburgh Pirates for the long haul.
The 19-year-old shortstop agreed to a nine-year, $140 million contract with the Pirates early Wednesday, less than a week after the former first-round pick made his major league debut.
The deal, the largest in club history, includes escalators that could raise the total value to $150 million.
Griffin’s Pittsburgh teammates attended Wednesday’s news conference to announce the deal hours before the team lost to the San Diego Padres 8-2.
“This week has been amazing, debut week, and then sitting here signing a contract, it’s been amazing,” Griffin said. “It’s one of the best weeks of my life. … But it’ll be even better if we can get a win today.”
In Wednesday’s game, Griffin entered as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the seventh and hit a sacrifice fly to score Nick Yorke for the Pirates’ first run.
Pirates owner Bob Nutting said the nine-year contract reflects the team’s commitment in winning this season and in the future.
“This is an important step for 2026 as we look at it right now, but obviously this is a long-term commitment,” Nutting said. “It’s a long-term statement of where we’re headed as an organization, where we are headed with this team. … This obviously is an unusual and dramatic step for the Pittsburgh Pirates. So I’m excited, I hope our fans are excited, I hope the city is excited, I know the organization is excited.”
When asked why it was important to sign for nine years, Griffin said he sees the Pirates as a winning organization.
“I’m pumped to be a Pirate and be a part of this wonderful clubhouse,” Griffin said, looking at his teammates at the back of the room. “A lot of great talent back there and coaches and staff. Thank you all for being here to support me. Y’all made this transition to the big leagues super easy. And I’m just pumped to go compete. The goal is to win. The goal is to win a World Series. And I think we’ve got a great clubhouse to go do that. I’m pump to be part of it.”
The agreement comes less than 24 hours after general manager Ben Cherington said the “ingredients” were in place for a long-term pact.
The Pirates selected Griffin with the ninth overall pick in the 2024 amateur draft. He sprinted through the team’s farm system, hitting .333 with 21 home runs, 94 RBIs and 65 stolen bases. He was one of the final cuts during spring training last month, and his stay at Triple-A Indianapolis was brief.
Pittsburgh called Griffin to the majors after just a week, and he has played well through his first handful of games. Griffin laced an RBI-double in his first big-league at bat against Baltimore last Friday, and added a pair of hits, including a two-run single, in a 7-1 win over San Diego on Tuesday night that helped the Pirates to their sixth win in seven games.
Griffin, who has said repeatedly he wants to stay in Pittsburgh for as long as possible, has impressed teammates with his maturity and his unique skillset.
Reigning NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes called Griffin “a big leaguer through and through,” though Griffin is doing his best to ignore the attention that has surrounded his arrival for a team that is trying to return to relevance and end a playoff drought that’s now over a decade old.
“Just sticking to being myself, not trying to do too much,” Griffin said Tuesday night. “Just let the game tell me the situation. Compete one pitch at a time and let it all happen.”
