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Pirates make official roster move to welcome Konnor Griffin ahead of home opener

It's official.
Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin (75)
Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin (75) | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Pittsburgh Pirates fans have been waiting with bated breath for this moment, and it finally became official ahead of Friday's home opener at PNC Park. The Pirates selected the contract of Konnor Griffin from Triple-A Indianapolis, and fans should expect to see him in today's starting lineup against the Baltimore Orioles.

Of course, there's always the roster fallout, and in order to create a spot on the 40-man roster, Pittsburgh said goodbye to infielder Enmanuel Valdez who was designated for assignment. Valdez hadn't played a game in a Pirates uniform this season and has a paltry .680 OPS through 156 Major League games split between Pittsburgh and the Boston Red Sox.

Pirates officially welcome Konnor Griffin to Pittsburgh

The anticipation for Griffin's arrival in the big leagues has been building since spring training. The teenage phenom was one of the last roster cuts this spring despite a less than stellar showing in Grapefruit League games.

Griffin cast off the early-spring rust, however, and performed quite well during his first few games at Tripe-A Indianapolis. In five games for the Indians, he was hitting .438/.571/.625 with three doubles.

Pirates fans are riding a wave of excitement at the moment. Pittsburgh avenged their opening series loss to the New York Mets, taking 2-of-3 from their NL Central rivals, the Cincinnati Reds and are sitting at .500 heading into play on Friday. The enthusiasm throughout the Steel City has reached a fever pitch, and expectations are as high as they've been since the Pirates' last playoff run over a decade ago.

Obviously expectations should be somewhat tempered among Pirates fans. Griffin is, after all, just 19 years old and has only been playing professional baseball since 2025. But the hype is real, and if he's able to meet the moment during Friday's home opener, the crowd in attendance will undoubtedly come unglued.

Pirates fans see the winds changing, and it would seem that Bob Nutting and the team's leadership see it as well. There's rumors that Griffin is set to sign a massive contract extension with the Pirates, but those reports have yet to be confirmed. Regardless, with Friday's move now official, the young rookie will be slated to make his MLB debut and Pirates fans can't get enough of Griffin-mania.

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