Pirates Sign Griffin to 9-Year, $140M Deal

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have signed promising shortstop Konnor Griffin to a nine-year contract worth $140 million, a deal announced on April 8 that locks in the 19-year-old prospect through the 2034 season.

Details of the agreement, obtained by The Associated Press, reveal a $12 million signing bonus to be paid over the next two years. Griffin will receive $5 million within 30 days of Major League Baseball's approval of the contract, followed by $3.5 million on April 1, 2027, and another $3.5 million on April 1, 2028. His annual salaries begin at $1 million for the current 2026 season and increase progressively: $2 million in 2027, $4 million in 2028, $6 million in 2029, $12.5 million in 2030, $21 million in 2031, $26.5 million in 2032, and $27.5 million each in 2033 and 2034.

The contract includes performance incentives tied to Most Valuable Player voting. Salaries for 2032 and 2033 could rise by up to $2.5 million each, based on Griffin's MVP finishes from 2026 to 2031: $1.5 million for a first-place vote, $750,000 for second or third, and $500,000 for fourth through 10th. The 2034 salary has a potential $5 million escalator under similar criteria for voting from...