The Pittsburgh Pirates entered the 2026 MLB season looking to shift their trajectory after seven consecutive losing seasons, topping at 76 wins in 2023 and 2024.
Moreover, Pittsburgh has reached the playoffs just three times since 1992, and they are currently trying to build around a young core while ending the longest postseason drought in the National League.
Even if it's still too early to tell, the Pirates have started on the right foot through the first 11 games of the season, posting a 7-4 record good for third in the Central Division and tied for the fifth-best league-wide.
Pittsburgh's pitching has been a bright spot early, posting the seventh-best ERA in the MLB at 3.27, while the bats have stayed reasonably hot, posting the eighth-best OPS at .728 through Tuesday.
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Amid that positive backdrop, and after days of rumors, Pittsburgh finally made a widely expected move on Wednesday morning.
The Pirates announced a nine-year, $140 million extension with Konnor Griffin, a deal that could reach $150 million with incentives, per the New York Post's Jon Heyman, and runs through the 2034 season.
“It feels great knowing I will be a Pittsburgh Pirate for a long time,” Griffin said. “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.”
Griffin, 19, is considered the consensus top prospect in baseball. In his first five major league games, Griffin is hitting .176/.300/.235 with three RBIs and two runs in 17 at-bats.
Before his promotion, Griffin dominated the minors in 2025, slashing .333/.415/.527 with 21 home runs, 23 doubles, 65 stolen bases and 94 RBIs across 122 games.
Pirates chairman Bob Nutting framed the deal as a cornerstone move for the franchise.
“Signing Konnor is a meaningful commitment to this team, this city and our fans,” Nutting said. “It reflects our belief in Konnor, in this season’s club and in the future of our organization. Konnor represents everything we value in a player — exceptional talent, strong character, a team-first mentality and a maturity that stood out to all of us from the beginning.”
The extension is the largest guaranteed contract in Pirates history, surpassing Bryan Reynolds' $100 million contract signed on Apr. 2023.
