After two absolute bombs during a Tuesday Spring Training game, excitement over Konnor Griffin’s potential continues to build.
“We’re looking at generational play in Konnor Griffin,” MLB great Harold Reynolds said on MLB Network Wednesday.
Reynolds also drew comparisons to Ken Griffey Jr. when he was a rookie in the late 1980s.
Griffin has also been called a “can’t miss” prospect and is already being compared to having the potential of a Mike Trout.
At 19, none of that is proven yet. Griffin hasn’t played a professional game above Double-A.
For a smaller-market team like the Pirates, if they want to keep Griffin long-term, they’ll have to gamble.
And according to the Post-Gazette’s Noah Hiles, that’s what the Pirates could be trying to do.
Hiles says that both the Pirates and Griffin are “open toward” a long-term extension.
If Griffin turns out to be the generational player he has shown potential to be, the Pirates can lock him up for a much cheaper price. But if he’s a bust, the team is on the hook for a big, long-term contract.
The deal would make sense for Griffin too, even with a 10-year extension, Griffin would still be under 30 when his contract is up.
If the Pirates also get a deal done with Griffin, all that talk about whether to bring him up with the Opening Day roster or not, would be moot.