This Teen Shortstop Just Signed an Eye-Popping Deal

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, reports the AP. The agreement comes less than 24 hours after general manager Ben Cherington said the "ingredients" were in place for a long-term pact.

The Athletic calls Griffin "a five-tool phenom who could be the sport's most exciting prospect since Mike Trout," and the AP runs down his recent history: The Pirates selected Griffin with the ninth overall pick in the 2024 amateur draft (the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette notes he was coming out of high school, and the eight players ahead of him were college prospects). 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; the Athletic notes the Pirates have made it to the postseason only three times since 1992. "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."