Reds next big move couldn’t be clearer after Konnor Griffin extension with Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates just made a huge commitment and locked up their top prospect for the long haul. According to reports, the Pirates signed shortstop Konnor Griffin to a nine-year, $140 million contract extension that will make him franchise the cornerstone for the next decade.

This should serve as the latest wake-up call to Nick Krall and the Cincinnati Reds front office. If a small-market organization like the Pirates are willing to fork over a ton of money in order to keep their best young player for the next nine years, it's time for the Reds to do the same with Sal Stewart.

Pirates-Konnor Griffin extension should spur Reds to sign Sal Stewart

This is a relatively new trend that the Reds have bucked to this point, but they can't avoid it any longer. Teams are signing their best young talent to high-dollar contracts in hopes of lengthening their competitive window beyond the player's arbitration years.

Young stars like Roman Anthony, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Bobby Witt Jr. have all signed massive, pre-arbitration contract extensions with their respective ball clubs. While these types of deals are not cheap, if the player lives up to the billing, they'll undoubtedly represent a cost savings down the road.

The Reds have made one such deal, and that was Hunter Greene's six-year, $53 million extension in 2023. While injuries have certainly affected the overall value of the contract, one look at the free-agent market for starting pitching shows that the Reds struck a bargain with Greene. It's time for the Reds to do the same with Stewart.

Cincinnati tried to get a long-term deal done with Matt McLain last spring, but he rebuffed their offer. Elly De La Cruz reportedly turned down a record-breaking deal as well. Unless the Reds are focused on inking Chase Burns or Andrew Abbott to a long-term deal, the most logical player to receive a contract offer is Stewart.

The Reds rookie has already said that he's willing to discuss a long-term contract. While the risks are obvious — Stewart has less than 100 Major League at-bats to his résumé — the upside is tremendous. These are the gambles that competent front office executives are making nowadays, and the Reds risk losing ground if they fail to meet the market.

The window for negotiating these types of deals is always open, but once the calendar flips to May — and especially June — very few teams and players will negotiate long-term extensions.

Because he's land-locked at first base, Stewart isn't going to command the same type of salary as Griffin. But it's a good bet that any extension the Reds' rookie is willing to sign will likely cost upwards of $100 million. Will the Reds make the commitment? The clock is ticking.