The Pirates signed SS Konnor Griffin to a nine-year, $140M contract extension through 2034 and the news was “seismic” for the club, with the decision “celebrated by Griffin’s camp, the organization and the fanbase,” according to Colin Beazley of the PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE. Griffin’s extension is a “statement of intent toward not only 2026, but toward opening a window of contention through 2034.” Not only is Griffin’s deal the largest in franchise history, but it also sets him “up to be the face of the franchise.” If the Pirates “weren’t interested in winning, they wouldn’t have made this sizable a commitment to a player like Griffin.” The Pirates have been “doing the right things to build a winner, as shown by an entirely homegrown rotation.” The deal “doesn’t guarantee a spending spree from ownership or that the Pirates will continue with extensions.” However, beyond raising payroll, this is the “type of positive move that can affect perceptions around the league” (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 4/9).

LONG-TERM COMMITMENT: In Pittsburgh, Noah Hiles wrote anytime the Pirates had a talent worth celebrating, fans “knew to enjoy every second, because more often than not, he wouldn’t be here for long.” But that “won’t be something this young generation of Pirates fans will experience.” For the next decade, Griffin “will be the face of their franchise.” His long-term commitment to the organization “provides some much-needed credibility.” While the Pirates will “still have to work harder than large market clubs to acquire elite players, having Griffin on the roster is a major selling point” (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 4/8).

OPEN WINDOW: USA TODAY’s Gabe Lacques wrote extending Griffin was a “watershed moment for a perpetual punching bag, stopping the clock on losing a potential franchise icon before his nascent career amounted to a death march to free agency.” Griffin and P Paul Skenes will play “nearly four seasons together.” Lacques: “Sure, this isn’t the NBA, where you can build a club around two guys. Yet Pittsburgh’s wealth of young pitching gives it a shot every year and suddenly, the notion of contending makes beautiful PNC Park a potential destination again” (USA TODAY, 4/8).

WHAT HAD TO BE DONE: In Pittsburgh, Joe Starkey wrote it is “great news, but it’s certainly no reason to be heaping praise upon team owner Bob Nutting.” The Pirates did what they “had to do and what so many teams around baseball are doing: They locked up a prized prospect at a fixed cost.” This is “merely the cost of doing business, kind of like the Nutting finally cracking” the $100M barrier on payroll this season. Starkey: “Good for Nutting for doing his job. Now keep it up” (TRIBLIVE, 4/8).

GUARANTEED MONEY: THE ATHLETIC’s Ken Rosenthal noted the agreement “marked the culmination of six months of discussions” between the Pirates and Griffin’s agency, Excel Sports Management. People from both sides mentioned that in the end, the nine-year term “represented a compromise.” The Pirates “initially wanted 10 years of club control over Griffin,” while Excel “preferred the number to be eight.” For Griffin and Excel, the “No. 1 priority was the size of the guarantee.” Griffin will receive a $12M signing bonus — $5M up front, $3.5M in 2027, $3.5M in 2028. His three arbitration years, worth a combined $39.5M, would “put him near the top of the current arb market.” His three free-agent years are worth a combined $81.5M, and the contract includes $10M in escalators (THE ATHLETIC, 4/8).

DRAWING EYEBALLS: SBJ’s Austin Karp writes MLB Network’s out-of-market telecast of Griffin’s debut on Saturday averaged 260,000 viewers, which is on par with what Skenes’ debut drew on MLB Network (253,000 on May 11, 2024). Through this past Sunday, MLB Network’s out-of-market live games are up 46%, led by the Guardians-Dodgers with 447,000 viewers on April 1. Meanwhile, through the early days of the regular season, four rookies are in the top 10 in terms of player page traffic on MLB.com and the MLB app. Guardians OF Chase DeLauter has the second-most trafficked player page through April 6, behind only Dodgers P/DH Shohei Ohtani. Griffin is No. 3 in terms of most most-trafficked player pages, while White Sox 1B Munetaka Murakami is No. 5 and Tigers 3B Kevin McGonigle is No. 9 (SBJ).