Category: Sports News

Konnor Griffin’s promotion to the major leagues is set to come with a massive payday.

The 19-year-old shortstop, who is poised to make his MLB debut during the Pirates’ home opener against the Orioles Friday, is finalizing a nine-year, $140 million deal with Pittsburgh, per ESPN’s Buster Olney, who noted the sides are still at work.

If and when it comes to fruition, it would become the largest guarantee made to a player before their MLB debut.

ESPN reported Wednesday that Griffin and the Pirates began extension talks in spring training, with the teenager’s camp seeking a deal comparable to the $130 million pact Roman Anthony inked with the Red Sox last August.

Griffin could now eclipse Anthony’s post-debut extension, and shatter Mariners prospect Colt Emerson’s historic $95 million deal before reaching the majors – which he signed just this week.

Before this year, Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio held the record for the largest guaranteed deal before debuting in the majors, signing an eight-year, $82 million pact during the 2023 Winter Meetings.

The promotion of Griffin, ranked by MLB Pipeline as the top prospect in baseball entering 2026, provides another boost to Pittsburgh’s lineup after a busy offseason.

The Pirates added ex-Braves slugger Marcell Ozuna, first baseman Ryan O’Hearn and second baseman Brandon Lowe, bolstering a lineup the team hopes can reach the postseason for the first time since 2015.

"I'm fired up that Konnor Griffin is making his debut on Friday..

He's gonna bring a lot of energy and his play speaks for itself" ~ @Paul_Skenes#PMSLivepic.twitter.com/KAtZuRet5k

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 2, 2026

Reigning National League Cy Young winner Paul Skenes, who rebounded from a rough Opening Day start against the Mets with a strong outing Wednesday against the Reds, is “fired up” to have Griffin in the majors.

“Yeah, I’m fired up,” Skenes said Thursday during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show. “If Bucco fans needed anything else to get excited about for the home opener, they got it. It’s great. He’s super mature, he’s 19 right now, you’d never know it talking to him.

“The most mature 19-year-old you’re ever going to meet in your life. The play speaks for itself, but the way he conducts himself in the locker room and off the field, it’s cool to see. He’s going to bring an energy and obviously a skillset to Pittsburgh that’s exciting.”

Taken ninth overall by Pittsburgh in the 2024 MLB Draft out of Jackson Preparatory School in Mississippi, Griffin enjoyed a meteoric rise through the organization’s system after making his pro debut last year.

Between three different levels in 2025, Griffin slashed an eye-popping .333/.415/.527 with 21 homers, 94 RBIs and 65 stolen bases over 122 games.

He got off to a torrid start in Spring Training, including a two-homer game in late February, as he made a strong bid to crack the Opening Day roster.

Griffin cooled off the rest of spring and ultimately began 2026 in Triple-A, where he continued to hit well, notching a .438 average in five games before his call-up.

After reading the headline you were probably wondering how long it would take for me to mention Leo De Vries. The answer was, apparently, 18 words. Let’s take a look at two trends that are on collision course unless they aren’t:

1. The A’s have gone wild lately with regard to extensions, inking not one, not two, not three, but four in the past two years — and made a $130M offer to Nick Kurtz that was not accepted. And have reportedly been in discussions with Shea Langeliers even if no agreement is imminent or likely. Clearly these A’s are “extension oriented” as they attempt to build a juggernaut with name recognition in the “approaching Vegas with a strong tailwind” years.

2. There seems to be a movement towards signing extensions for players with enormous potential and exactly zero track record. This past week Colt Emerson set a new record being guaranteed $95M before his first PA and it’s a record that might last for days…Reports have the Pirates and Konnor Griffin “deep in extension talks,” news that was followed by Griffin’s call up today. It’s a race to see which comes first: his (probably) 9 figure extension or his first big league hit.

It’s hard to see these 4 A’s extensions and 2 “pre-MLB debut” extensions and not wonder about De Vries. Would it be prudent for the A’s to bet on the 19 year old before he proves himself in the big leagues and his price tag rockets upwards? Could it be a break, in hindsight, that Kurtz passed up $130M guaranteed and left that purse open for the A’s to put elsewhere, perhaps into a toolsy shortstop who has drawn comps to Francisco Lindor while tearing up spring training after mastering AA as an 18 year old?

Prospects in baseball fail more often than they succeed, by a lot. Even the most promising ones, the “can’t miss” ones, often miss. Injuries can drastically alter a career arc as can issues of maturity or off the field choices around diet or lifestyle.

For this reason I tend to be risk averse with regard to offering unproven prospects appreciable guaranteed money and teams have generally felt the same way — until now. And today I am going to put myself out there by declaring that while usually my recommended answer would be “no,” with De Vries I see an exception. I would love to see the A’s hop on the “pre-debut band wagon” and sign De Vries now to a similar deal to the ones Emerson and Griffin are signing.

First off, Emerson and Griffin are such good prospects that their deals provide a fair barometer for the ceiling of a De Vries extension. That is to say Emerson isn’t going to settle for $95M over 8 years but De Vries gets $150M. In any talks with De Vries, presumably you would be looking at figures comparable to the ones we have seen with his peers. (We will see about the specifics with Griffin, but even if they are a lot more robust one has to factor in that he is the #1 prospect right now on MLB Pipeline, not 4th.)

So with De Vries, presumably, the A’s would be gambling on the efficacy of allotting somewhere around Emerson’s $12M-ish per year over an 8 year period. Given that De Vries is poised to debut as soon as the next couple months, plays a premium position, switch hits effectively from both sides of the plate and has matched stars like Fernando Tatis Jr. and Bryce Harper in his AA hitting at age 18, it’s hard to imagine where if he stays healthy De Vries won’t be a veritable bargain over the next 8 years averaging around $12M/year (or whatever his extension would look like).

Obviously you don’t want to start a salary clock too far ahead of an MLB clock, since once you are paying a player he is getting paid wherever he plays. So whenever the A’s were to agree to an extension with De Vries they would have to feel a call up was imminent — this was the case with Griffin who is getting called up for tonight’s game.

After the way he dominated the Cactus League (.426/.460/.723, 3 HR in 50 PA), including many hits against quality big league pitchers, it’s fair to think that De Vries might force his way up as soon as June 1st. So the time to talk about an extension is right about now.

Let’s be realistic here: there are finite dollars for the front office to throw around. An extension for a player making his AA season debut tonight might mean backing off on continued talks with Nick Kurtz, or it might mean foregoing a free agent opportunity in 2028. So you have to be sure it’s the right choice of where to allocate “real money” — you can’t just fall back on the cliched “Sure, it’s not my money, why not?”

Should the A’s get knee deep in extension talks with De Vries before he sets foot on a big league diamond for the first time? Suddenly there is precedent that teams are seeing this gamble as a shrewd investment in a long term future and contention window, while in the meantime Jon Singleton is laughing on his way to the bank.

In Leo We Trust?

Major League Baseball on Wednesday unveiled its recommended slot values for the 2026 MLB Draft, which determines the bonus pools that each team has to spend this July. After signing star free agents Edwin Díaz and Kyle Tucker this offseason, the Dodgers in this year’s draft have the lowest bonus pool in MLB and their lowest bonus pool in the 15 years of the slotting system.

Bonus pools are determined by adding up the recommended slot values for every pick through the 10th round. Because both Díaz and Tucker rejected qualifying offers from their former teams in November, and because the Dodgers were a competitive-balance-tax-paying team, Los Angeles lost a pair of 2026 draft picks with each signing. For Díaz, the Dodgers forfeited their second-round and fifth-round picks, and for Tucker they lost their third-round and sixth-round picks.

That leaves only six picks in the first 10 rounds of the 2026 draft, and the Dodgers have a total bonus pool of $3,951,500 to spend. Here are the team’s recommended slot values, per both Carlos Collazo of Baseball America and Joe Doyle of Over-Slot Baseball.

The Dodgers’ previous lowest bonus pool was in 2022 with $4,223,800 to spend.

“The depth of our system put us in a position where, while the cost is still meaningful, it wasn’t as significant. We have a very strong system up top,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said in January. “But even more than that, I think the depth of our system allows us this one year to have our food budget for the draft meetings exceed our signing bonuses. It’s not great by any means, but just trying to balance that with doing everything we could to put ourselves in the best position to win a championship in 2026.”

The 2026 MLB Draft place will be held from July 11-13 in Philadelphia, the host city for this year’s All-Star Game.

Among the most important positions around the diamond, there is a fair argument that catchers stand alone atop the list. Over their long history, the Yankees have been blessed with good backstops who can handle themselves with the gear and with the bat, with the likes of Bill Dickey, Yogi Berra, Elston Howard, Thurman Munson, and Jorge Posada leading the charge. While the Yankees may not boast those truly elite names behind the plate within the past decade, they have remained highly effective at manning the position, often with multiple players getting significant run.

In 2026, the job belongs to Austin Wells, with J.C. Escarra serving as a more-then-serviceable backup. Although neither of these backstops produce Piazza-esque numbers with the bat, they are both capable hitters, and have more recently shown themselves to be a potent duo on defense in particular. 2026 has been a historically good start on the pitching side of things in New York, and their catchers are playing pivotal roles in lifting their batterymates to new heights.

Wells, the clear starter at the position, has turned himself into a really solid all-around player. As a rookie in 2024, he showed legitimate potential with the bat, posting a 107 wRC+ in over 400 plate appearances, and although he took a slight step back last season, he made up for it with some pop, as he topped 20 homers for the first time. Wells didn’t go deep during his first week of regular season play, but his All-WBC-worthy performance in March signaled that he should remain no easy out.

Perhaps even more importantly, Wells has turned around his status as a defensive catcher. Originally seen as someone who may not stick behind the plate, both he and the Yankees have proved the skeptics wrong, as he has taken huge strides since arriving in the big leagues and seems to be thriving in the premium position.

During the 2025 campaign, Wells graded as one of baseball’s very best pitch-framers (12 framing runs via Statcast), while keeping himself afloat with average grades in other areas. Wells, who once seemed to be a bat-first catcher who had potential to end up position-less, now looks like one of the league’s steadier defenders behind the plate, all while handling his own on offense thanks to some legit thump with the bat.

While the Yankees should be satisfied with their first-stringer, whose 6.5 fWAR between 2024-25 ranks sixth among big league catchers, where they separate themselves is with their quality depth at the position.

Escarra, who initially made headlines as a feel-good story out of spring training last season, has also turned himself into a real force behind the plate. Despite only playing in only 40 games with the Yankees in 2025, his five catcher framing runs was bested by only seven catchers in baseball. Escarra established himself among the best defensive backstops in the minor leagues last season, and despite the limited work, one of the more adept pitch-framers in the sport. Even though ABS is now part of Major League Baseball, not every borderline call is going to be reviewed due to the challenge limits, and the Yankees have already stolen some strikes in 2026.

Beyond that, Escarra has a solid bat for backstop, where the bar is lower than most positions due to the inherent defensive value. His numbers will likely never jump off the page, with his 79 wRC+ last season, but he has solid discipline, posting a 11.2-percent walk rate, while limiting strikeouts and maintaining the decent potential to run into one now and then (even if you understandably discredit all spring training numbers, his three Grapefruit League bombs at least indicate that there is power in his bat). All told, Escarra stands as a more-then-adequate backup, as someone who can stay afloat with the bat, and potentially be a difference maker behind the plate.

The combination of the two catchers, Wells as a more significant threat with the bat and a surprising changing of the tide on defense, along with Escarra’s valuable glovework behind the plate, make the Yankees stand out at the position.* This is something they’ve excelled at in recent years, thanks to solid all-around value from the likes of Kyle Higashioka, Jose Trevino, and even all the way back to José Molina — skilled catching depth has legitimate value that can be hard to see with the naked eye.

*Since he’s the primary first baseman, we’re not even delving into the luxury of having Ben Rice around as a third catcher. But it sure is nice, especially because the Yankees and Rice have an interest in at least keeping that ability “in [his] back pocket.”

The success of Wells and Escarra has also allowed the Yankees to move some of their other catching depth in recent years for value elsewhere on the diamond. This includes moving Trevino for reliever Fernando Cruz, acquiring top pitching prospect Elmer Rodríguez in exchange for Carlos Narvaez, and adding the likes of David Bednar and Camilo Doval at last year’s Trade Deadline for prospects Rafael Flores Jr. and Jesus Rodriguez.

The 2026 season has gotten off to a roaring start on the pitching side of things for the Yankees, and it is only fair to credit their backstops for some of it. Two players, who were once a future non-catcher and a 30-year-old rookie have turned themselves into two of the sport’s best pitch-framers and game-managers, and as a result, an one of the game’s better catcher’s rooms.

Even if the offensive numbers remain where they are, the floor that Wells and Escarra provide on the whole is hard to overstate, and the Yankees pitchers who have dominated thus far would absolutely agree.

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There are just three games on today's MLB slate, but we still have some MLB best bets for that action based on prices at prediction markets like Polymarket, which allow bettors all across the country to get in on some baseball action.

Our expert MLB picks are below, with Minnesota and Kansas City continuing to start slow and Atlanta being underpriced in an advantageous matchup.

MLB expert picks for today

Pick	Odds
Josh Inglis: MIN/KC NRFI	+108
Jon Metler: Braves ML	-108

Prices courtesy of Polymarket.

Josh Inglis' expert pick: Twins/Royals NRFI

Price: 48¢ (+108) at Polymarket

Things should settle down this afternoon after yesterday’s 13–9 game, which still cashed a NRFI at a similar number. The 20 mph winds are inflating the total and giving us a better price on the first inning, and through the first week of the season, neither the Twins nor the Royals has scored in the first frame. It sets up well with Taj Bradley vs. Cole Ragans, especially with potential getaway-day lineups on both sides —with a chance that key bats such as Byron Buxton and Salvador Pérez get a day off.

Jon Metler's expert pick: Braves ML

Price: 52¢ (-108) at Polymarket

The Braves are trading as a 52% favorite against the Diamondbacks, and I think this price is an absolute steal — I make the Braves closer to a 62% favorite in this matchup. Ryne Nelson allowed two home runs in his season debut, lasting just 4 2/3 innings, and his cutter could get him into trouble against a Braves lineup capable of barreling the ball consistently. What really stands out is the depth of Atlanta’s lineup right now: Mauricio Dubón and Dominic Smith are both hitting over .385 to start the season, helping turn the lineup over and giving a pitcher like Nelson nowhere to breathe. If the Braves can drive up his pitch count and get into the Diamondbacks’ bullpen early, it becomes a significant advantage for Atlanta.

More MLB best bets for today

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