Contract extensions have become a central talking point in Major League Baseball, and the Pittsburgh Pirates, as the organization decides how aggressively it can be to lock in some of the top players on its roster. Two of the biggest names are ace Paul Skenes and elite prospect Konnor Griffin, both viewed as potential long-term stars for the Pirates.
According to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the likelihood of extensions for the two players is much different because of service time, market leverage, and how much the Pirates have to spend.
“Yes on your first part. Unless they win this upcoming season, then you restart discussions. But I still don't think it's terribly likely given what he knows he'll make in free agency and what they've be willing to pay,” he wrote.
“They're gonna try on Griffin. He's amenable to it, too. But I just don't know where their number will be. If it's $80 million, no. If it's $140 million, I think there's a very good shot that happens. If it's $110 million, that's where it gets a little more tricky for me. But I expect it to be discussed in spring, as I've been writing and saying.”
With Skenes, the challenge is simple, as elite starting pitching is among the top things every team in the league wants. If he continues on this path, his arbitration years alone could command massive earnings, as we just saw with Tarik Skubal, and free agency presents an even bigger payday. Perhaps Skenes would take a pre-arb deal, but the contract would likely have to blow him out of the water.
Winning could influence the situation, as Mackey noted, but we don’t know how the Pirates will look this year. Regardless, Skenes will be expensive and it doesn’t seem likely that he’ll get his money soon.
Griffin’s situation, however, is much different. As a younger player earlier in his professional career, a pre-arbitration extension might make more sense for both sides, even with the lack of time at the big league level.
If Griffin were to get a pre-arb deal now, it’d make sense for him to take it if the deal is fair.