Why Pirates extending Konnor Griffin doesn't change a thing for Paul Skenes

It took all of 17 big league at-bats for 19-year-old Konnor Griffin to earn an extension from the Pittsburgh Pirates. The news broke Wednesday morning that Griffin and the Pirates were in agreement on a contract extension that will keep the shortstop in Pittsburgh for the next nine seasons and earning $140 million.

With the rising potential Griffin has shown as a top-10 pick from the 2024 MLB draft, the Pirates wanted to get ahead of the game and lock him up for the foreseeable future. This decision is already raising questions concerning Paul Skenes' future. The fact of the matter is, Griffin's contract extension will not impact Skenes one way or another.

Paul Skenes future with the Pirates is still in question

The immediate reaction a lot of Pirates fans will have when seeing the details of Griffin's extension is that the organization is serious about retaining young talent currently on their roster. If they are hoping this is a stepping stone towards an extension for Skenes, they may want to lower their expectations.

$140 million is not a small amount of money by any means of the imagination but over nine years for a top prospect like Griffin is pocket change, even for the Pirates. Skenes is a one-of-one type talent that will be seeking an astronomical amount of money when it comes time to sign his next deal. Whatever the amount is for Skenes, it is more than likely outside of the Pirates' budget.

The only plus to this situation is that Griffin has the chance to be worth well more than his contract in the coming years, creating a little more wiggle room for Skenes' negotiations in the future. However, the challenges Pittsburgh will face in retaining Skenes remain true.

Pirates missed their window to extend Paul Skenes

If the Pirates wanted to extend Skenes, a good time to do it would've been before he threw a big-league pitch, much like Griffin's deal. However, there's far greater risk in handing that kind of money to a starting pitcher than a position player, as the former are more injury prone. But had the Pirates offered Skenes a long-term extension prior to his first start, he would've thought twice about it.

Now, Skenes is a year away from arbitration, where he could shatter the record Tarik Skubal set just this past winter. Skenes won't be an actual free agent until after the 2030 season. There's a good chance he'll cost the Pirates more than $30 million in arbitration, given he already has an NL Rookie of the Year award and NL Cy Young to his name.

Big market organizations like the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres will most certainly will be willing to go to extreme measures to add an ace like Skenes to their staff. These are clubs that can withstand going over the luxury tax without batting an eye, while the Pirates on the other hand could never dream of that type of financial freedom.

Pirates ensured they'll make the most of competitive window with Skenes and Griffin

Another factor in retaining Skenes will be the success of the Pirates over the next few seasons, starting with 2026. It is not like Pittsburgh is considered a World Series contender but for Skenes to really consider staying with the Pirates, he has to witness an upward trajectory for the franchise, as he will be chasing a World Series.

If he has any indication that a World Series is out of reach with his current squad, Skenes will likely move on elsewhere regardless of how hard the Pirates try to retain him.

Securing a rising star like Konnor Griffin is a step in the right direction for a MLB franchise that has been looked down upon over the last several seasons but unfortunately for Pirates fans, it changes nothing in regards to Paul Skenes' future.

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