Pittsburgh Pirates, Gregory Polanco still far apart in contract negotiations

The Pittsburgh Pirates and star outfielder Gregory Polanco remain far apart in contract negotiations despite a number of offers and counteroffers from both sides, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.

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The longest offer from Pittsburgh would reportedly keep Polanco with the team until the end of the 2024 season, when he will be 33- years-old. Heyman says the Pirates made a number of offers with varying terms, hoping to finally lock up the 22-year-old before his price goes any higher.

That 10-year offer would be worth up to $75 million for Polanco, says Heyman, but most of the money would be tied up in non-guaranteed option years. That’s understandable given the risk of committing guaranteed money to such an inexperienced player, though Polanco has proven to deserve special consideration.

Since being called up by the Pirates earlier this month, Polanco has batted .319/.409/.417 with two homers and four steals in 17 games. The right fielder entered the season as one of the most hyped prospects in the game, and he’s lived up to those expectations for the most part.

Signing Polanco long-term would solidify the Pirates’ outfield for the foreseeable future. With both Andrew McCutchen and Starling Marte locked up already, Pittsburgh has developed a habit of signing its talented young outfielders early in their careers. It’s an understandably strategy, and one that you’ve seen other teams increasingly embrace as well.

However, given that Marte had over a year of experience when he signed his eight-year deal, Heyman says there’s some concern about giving Polanco even more money despite his recent debut. It doesn’t sound like a major, open issue, but could explain why the negotiations are ongoing.