How the Pirates and Konnor Griffin finalized their record-setting $140M extension

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But the nine-year, $140 million contract he signed Wednesday protects him better than these types of deals usually do. Griffin, who turns 20 on April 24, will be young enough at the end of the contract to strike an even bigger payday. His deal does not include club options. He will become eligible for free agency at 28, entering his age-29 season. The agreement marked the culmination of six months of discussions between the Pirates and Griffin’s agency, Excel Sports Management. People from both sides, granted anonymity for their candor, said that in the end, the nine-year term represented a compromise. The Pirates initially wanted 10 years of club control over Griffin. Excel preferred the number to be eight. For Griffin and Excel, the No. 1 priority was the size of the guarantee. Under the terms of the contract, obtained by The Athletic, Griffin will receive a $12 million signing bonus — $5 million up front, $3.5 million in 2027, $3.5 million in 2028. His three arbitration years, worth a combined $39.5 million, would put him near the top of the current arb market. His three free-agent years are worth a combined $81.5 million, and the contract includes $10 million in escalators. The Pirates initially offered eight years with two club options, a non-starter for Griffin’s camp, which did not want to delay his free agency until he was entering his age-30 season. Excel was open to an eight-year deal with one club option if the Pirates offered enough money. In a deal of that length, the Pirates might have gotten to $130 million, but not $140 million. So nine years it was, with no options. Fans might ask, how did Griffin receive a higher guarantee than Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony, who signed an eight-year, $130 million contract last August with one club option and escalators that could bring the total value to $230 million? Griffin is two years younger. He is an up-the-middle infielder, as opposed to a corner outfielder. And his minor-league performance last season practically broke the projection models teams use. The conversations that led to Griffin’s contract started in November at the general managers’ meetings in Las Vegas. At that point, Griffin was only 16 months removed from the Pirates drafting him ninth overall in 2024. He had only 98 at-bats above Class A. And he was barely 19 1/2 years old. Yet, even then, the Pirates knew what they had, knew Griffin likely would warrant the biggest contract in franchise history, surpassing outfielder Bryan Reynolds’ $106.75 million deal from 2023. The team followed up with Griffin’s agency, Excel Sports Management, at the winter meetings in December, then resumed the discussions in spring training. When the Pirates assigned Griffin to Triple A on March 21, some in the industry speculated that they were trying to exert leverage over him in the contract discussions. Griffin batted only .171 in Grapefruit League play, and appeared to be pressing offensively in the week before his demotion, going 2-for-18 with eight strikeouts. Even some in his camp acknowledged it was the right move to send him down, effectively enabling him to take a deep breath. Griffin forced the Pirates’ hand by batting .438 with a 1.196 OPS in 21 plate appearances at Triple A. The team promoted him before its home opener, in time to become eligible for a Prospect Promotion Incentive draft pick if Griffin wins Rookie of the Year or finishes in the top three in MVP voting from 2026 to ‘28. A contract agreement before his major-league debut would have nullified that eligibility, but one person briefed on the negotiations said the deal was not completed until 6:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday night. Sure, Griffin might have earned more going year to year if he developed into an MVP-caliber player, but the contract gives him the security all players desire while serving as a hedge to a potentially even bigger deal. It gives the Pirates a franchise pillar to build around, even if they eventually lose right-hander Paul Skenes, who is under club control for three more seasons after this one. Call it a win-win. Which, for young players who sign long-term deals, isn’t always the case. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Ken Rosenthal is a senior baseball writer for The Athletic who has spent nearly 40 years covering the major leagues. In addition, Ken is an Emmy-award winning broadcaster for Fox Sports’ MLB telecasts. His peers voted him National Sportswriter of the Year in 2022 and 2024. Follow Ken on Twitter @Ken_Rosenthal