Phenom shortstop Konnor Griffin dazzles, but the Pittsburgh Pirates are weighing his readiness for the major league roster.
Ben Cherington isn’t ready to answer the Pittsburgh Pirates’ biggest spring training question – will phenom shortstop Konnor Griffin begin the regular season with the major league club or in the minor leagues?
“We just haven’t gotten there,” Cherington, the Pirates’ general manager, told reporters on Sunday in Bradenton, Fla. “Take it a day at a time. As we get deeper into March, we’ll start making decisions as we get closer, organize the roster, and just keep taking it day by day.”
Cherington isn’t bluffing. Pittsburgh hasn't decided if Griffin is big league-ready. The decision doesn’t need to be made until March 25, the day before the Pirates open against the Mets in New York.
Despite being just 4 for 20 (.200), Griffin has been the talk of camp because of his power and athleticism. He has hit three home runs and struck out just four times, seeming to justify his ranking as the best prospect in baseball.
Cherington has been in baseball a long time, though, to know that Grapefruit League statistics can be misleading.
“We’re reminded all the time about spring training versus the entire body of work,” Cherington said. “Spring training is a tiny slice of information. We owe it to players to consider the entire body of work. In Konnor’s case, there are (98) plate appearances above High-A. That’s important information, too.”
“So, we’ll see where this goes. But our job will be to put him in a position to have the longest, best career possible.”
There is always concern with young players about their ability to handle failure. Griffin seems to have good makeup. Still, the Pirates do not want to put him in a position where he could be overmatched in the major leagues.
Conversely, Pittsburgh wants to put its best team on the field, especially in a season when it is trying to contend.
“We believe that we have a responsibility as an organization with Konnor,” Cherington said. “He’s got a chance to have a really, really good, long career, and it’s our job to do everything we can to support him in being in the best spot possible to do that.
“Obviously, we want to try to marry that up with him helping the Pirates win as many games as possible, too. So that will continue to guide us.”
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