Without even playing a full week in the big leagues, Konnor Griffin has made Pittsburgh Pirates’ history. The Pirates locked up their teenage shortstop on a nine-year, $140 million deal, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Buster Olney, which is the largest guarantee in franchise history. Not just that, but the deal is also the largest ever handed to a player in his rookie season. It surpasses the record for a player so early in his career set by Roman Anthony with the Boston Red Sox, who inked an eight-year, $130 million deal two months after his major debut. Pittsburgh is investing a lot in Griffin, as they bought out three potential years of free agency to keep him from the open market. But they’ll keep the rights to move him, as the deal doesn’t have a full no-trade clause.
