Pittsburgh Pirates Sign Konnor Griffin To 9-year $140 Million Contract Then Lose To San Diego Padres
The Pirates have gotten off to a great start this year, but had a terrible day today. They signed 19-year-old phenom Konnor Griffin to a 9-year $140 contract, yet they lost today 8-2. They are 7-5 now on the year.
The Pirates continued a recent spate of Major League Baseball teams signing young stars to lucrative long-term contracts. That trend started when the Boston Red Sox signed slugger Roman Anthony last season. These types of signings are mutually beneficial as the young players secure their future, and the team signs a potential star at a relatively low cost. Do you think these types of signings make sense?
Game Summary Of Pirates and Padres
This game was strange. It was scoreless for six innings before the teams scored 10 runs in the 8-2 loss for the Pirates. The Padres broke out with four runs in both the seventh and ninth innings. The Pirates scored their two runs in the seventh inning.
The Pirates are the darlings of the young season in Major League Baseball. They have started hot, are now 7-5, and they have several intriguing young stars. Griffin is an example of those young stars. Oneil Cruz is another example. Also, recently, Pittsburgh has traded for or signed several veterans. Ryan O’Hearn is an example of a veteran whom Pittsburgh has acquired. Jose Urquidy is an example of a player signed.
Add those players to a veteran mix that includes Bryan Reynolds and Starting Pitcher Mitch Keller. They both celebrated 8 years with the team. There is now reason for baseball optimism in Pittsburgh. That is odd; the team has been a cash-strapped loser for 30 years.
Konnor Griffin Signs With Bucs
Because Pittsburgh has been so bad for so long, they have several young stars. One of those stars is Griffin. He started as a centerfielder, but now plays shortstop. He was born in 2006, and just a year ago, he was in A ball, with the Bradenton Marauders.
Now, he is the starting shortstop in Pittsburgh. He signed a 9-year, $140 million contract today. Now he is a young millionaire. He tore up the minor leagues, hitting greater than .300 across three minor league starts. He also slugged more than .500. He has gotten off to a bit of a slow start in the majors, hitting .167, but did double in his first at-bat.
Pirates Lose
Griffin pinch-hit today and hit a sacrifice fly. However, the two runs scored by Pittsburgh, one driven in by Griffin, were far from enough to counter those eight runs from the Padres. Nick Yorke was 3-of-3 for the Pirates. Mason Miller pitched for the Padres. He has a 103 miles per hour fastball, and is from Pittsburgh.
The Padres broke this game open in the ninth inning, when they scored four runs off Urquidy. San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. drove in a run with a hit and then stole home. Pittsburgh is off tomorrow, before starting a series on Friday against the Chicago Cubs. The Padres host the Rockies tomorrow at 6:40. Those teams start a four-game series.
