In some clubhouses, it might be awkward when the 19-year-old rookie who’s been here for a week signs the largest contract in franchise history.
That’s also not even close to the case when it comes to the Pirates and Konnor Griffin.
As everyone waited on Griffin in the press conference room at PNC Park on Wednesday morning, the shortstop’s nine-year, $140 million contract official, every uniformed member of the organization — coach and player — filed into the room out of support.
Their reasoning is simple: They truly and genuinely like the kid.
Hey, it’s impossible not to.
“I think we have a bunch of mature, grown men in here,” Ryan O’Hearn later said. “Everybody’s excited for him. A common thing I hear from all the guys was like, ‘Man, when I was 19, I was not even close to that.’
“I can attest to that when I was 19. I couldn’t be more excited for Konnor and his family and future. Now, he just gets to relax and compete, be himself on the field. That’s gonna be huge for us. He’s gonna help us win.”
There are so many layers when it comes to Griffin’s deal, which can reach $150 million with escalators and does not include any opt-outs. But the teammate one was the biggest for me.
For Griffin, too.
Back when this became a possibility, Griffin raised the question to general manager Ben Cherington: What might others in the clubhouse think? Will they get upset?
Griffin might’ve wondered or been a little nervous. But his teammates were — and remain — genuinely thrilled.
The Pirates have cultivated a terrific clubhouse culture, and it was on display when it came to welcoming Griffin for every spot along his journey to this point..
“It’s amazing seeing the guys back there,” Griffin said. “They’ve made me so comfortable in this clubhouse. It’s been nothing but great. I’m thankful for the relationships I’ve been able to build with them.
“Now that I think back on it, it might have been a silly comment. But I really do care about being a better teammate more than anything. I’m gonna continue to do that.”
There are two reasons the clubhouse dynamic has been a non-issue. Neither is complicated.
First and foremost, Griffin helps the Pirates win. That’s what everyone values most.
He’s also genuinely himself: works out six days a week in the offseason, pausing only for church and to spend time with family. He doesn’t drink — and can’t even buy celebratory drinks for teammates.
Griffin’s first big purchase?
“I’m not really sure. Probably just taking care of my family.”
When you think about it from that perspective, it would be surprising if the fit was anything other than seamless.
“What Ben shared is real,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “When you get a 19-year-old kid who’s more concerned about other people and how it’s gonna impact relationships, as opposed to trying to get a deal done because they want the contract or whatever, that certainly wasn’t the case with him. He’s such a pro. He’s so mature.
“To see every player in here, the whole staff from coaching staff all the way through performance, just a really cool moment as a Pirate.”
‘A lot of moving parts’
These past few weeks haven’t been easy on Griffin, who learned a lesson about the business of baseball in the process. He’s had to separate off-field talks from his performance. And at times, like the 0-for-12 stretch that preceded Tuesday’s game, it didn’t always go perfectly.
But it did serve as an important lesson. Leave it to Griffin, too, to try and find a way to go through something like that.
“It has prepared me for the pressure of being a guy who signs a contract,” Griffin said. “I’ve already had the talks going on behind closed doors. I know I still have to go perform. That’s the most important thing, to work on balancing that.”
That sort of perspective is what has endeared Griffin to his teammates. Along with his ability, of course.
As Paul Skenes discussed the Griffin contract, that’s something that resonated most with him, calling the draft pick “a layup” due to Griffin’s makeup and talent.
The more Griffin is around the big league club, the better for everyone, Skenes said. Oh, and definitely don’t worry about that young-guy-making-a-lot-of-money dynamic.
“It’s funny, that’s pretty much the only thing he’s done so far that shows that he’s 19 years old,” Skenes said. “It’s not a stupid question or anything. It’s just not having been in a big league clubhouse at the time that he asked that.
“Everybody’s really happy for him. He got a deal that he deserved, and he’s going to have the face of the team for a while.”
Family perspective
Along with O’Hearn and Skenes, Konnor’s father Kevin also spoke with us this morning. In his comments, he emphasized the job his wife, Kim, did raising Konnor, as well as the loyalty that drove this deal.
(Kevin deferred credit to Kim. Here’s guessing they both played a big part.)
“We’ve always tried to instill in him that people won’t always remember your stats, how you played or results of games,” Kevin Griffin said. “They’re always going to remember how you made them feel. We’ve continued to encourage him to be humble along this journey. If you do that, people will respect you. Good things will happen.”
The Griffins appreciate the Pirates taking a chance on their son, making him the first high schooler selected and then allowing him to blow through the minor leagues. Konnor Griffin also earned it.
But whether it was director of baseball operations Trey Rose, area scouting supervisor Darren Mazeroski, Nutting, Cherington, Kelly, coaches, teammates or even Pirates fans, the Griffin family couldn’t be happier with the many touchpoints they’ve had in Pittsburgh.
They’re also viewing this as a (potentially very) long-term commitment. Pay attention to the second part of Kevin Griffin’s answer when asked if his family can comprehend the amount of money involved.
“Not really,” he said. “When you look at it, [Konnor] is just a kid who loves playing baseball. The fact that those numbers are as big as they are, it’s kind of overwhelming. Kind of feels surreal to be standing here thinking about it.
“If you ask Konnor, this is something he dreamed about from the time he started playing the game. He didn’t understand the dynamic of the value of a dollar. But now that he’s in this situation, he’s said he wants to be a Pirate and play in the same organization his entire career.
“He’s been around guys like Chipper Jones who said it’s so special to be able to play in one place your whole career. I know this is the first nine of it. Hopefully there will be more to come after that.”
Jason Mackey: Jason.Mackey@pirates.com and @JMackey_PGH.