The Pittsburgh Pirates made a decision on Saturday that left a lot of their fans deeply disappointed.
The Pirates demoted top prospect Konnor Griffin to minor league camp on Saturday, the team announced. That means he will not make the Opening Day roster.
Griffin, a shortstop and center fielder, is regarded as the No. 1 prospect in all of baseball. The team has no clear option at the shortstop position right now, so many Pirates fans were hoping he would make the team, and were deeply upset that he will not.
Not serious about winning, nothing has changed.
— 4th Period Hockey (@4thPeriodHockey) March 21, 2026
Alika Williams over Konnor Griffin is legitimately laughable
— SSDK™️ (@SouthSideDK) March 21, 2026
On one hand, the frustration is understandable. On the other, Griffin hit just .171 in spring training, though he did add four home runs. He is only 19 and has played just 21 games above A-ball, and it is plausible he needs more seasoning.
There is also the reality that the Pirates might be trying to forestall Griffin’s service clock and possibly get an extra year of team control out of him. Regardless, there is a solid chance Griffin will be up before the end of the season, even if he is not there for Opening Day.
