Pirates Optimistic About Long-Term Deal with Rookie Shortstop Griffin

Pittsburgh believes 19-year-old prospect Konnor Griffin can handle the transition to the majors.

Apr. 7, 2026 at 10:07pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a baseball shortstop in motion, with the player's body and actions broken down into sharp, overlapping planes of color representing the Pirates' uniform.The Pirates' investment in young shortstop Konnor Griffin reflects a league-wide trend of locking up top infield prospects to long-term deals.San Diego Today

The Pittsburgh Pirates are optimistic about reaching a long-term contract with rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin, their 2024 first-round draft pick who was recently promoted to the major league roster. General manager Ben Cherington said the team has a high level of belief and conviction in the 19-year-old prospect, who has handled the transition to the big leagues well despite some initial offensive struggles.

Why it matters

The Pirates have made it a priority under Cherington to lock up young core players to long-term deals, as evidenced by recent extensions for outfielder Bryan Reynolds and pitcher Mitch Keller. Securing Griffin, considered the team's top prospect, to a long-term pact would solidify their infield for years to come.

The details

Griffin, the ninth overall pick in the 2024 draft, made his MLB debut last week and recorded an RBI double in his first at-bat. While he's still searching for his second hit, the Pirates are very high on the 6-foot-3 shortstop, who hit .438 in a brief stint at Triple-A before his promotion. Cherington said the team believes Griffin is equipped to handle the challenges that come with reaching the majors at such a young age.

  • Griffin made his MLB debut on April 4, 2026.
  • The Pirates called up Griffin less than 650 days after drafting him in 2024.

The players

Konnor Griffin

A 19-year-old shortstop who was the Pirates' first-round draft pick in 2024 and was recently promoted to the major league roster.

Ben Cherington

The general manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates, who expressed optimism about reaching a long-term deal with Griffin.

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What they’re saying

“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.”

— Ben Cherington, General Manager, Pittsburgh Pirates

“Part of the calculus of trying to call a player up is the conviction that they're equipped to handle that, whatever comes with that. We have a very high belief with Konnor to do that. He's going to respond that whatever challenges come his way and overcome them.”

— Ben Cherington, General Manager, Pittsburgh Pirates

What’s next

The Pirates and Griffin will continue negotiating a potential long-term contract extension, though Cherington cautioned they are not at the finish line yet.

The takeaway

The Pirates' optimism about signing Griffin to a long-term deal reflects the team's commitment to locking up their top young talent, a strategy that has already paid dividends with extensions for players like Bryan Reynolds and Mitch Keller. Securing Griffin, their top prospect, would solidify the team's infield for years to come.