Are the Pittsburgh Pirates getting it all wrong? Bob Nutting already has the fans chasing him because he is not building a steady team around their star ace, Paul Skenes. Now, the team has made another move with a potential $110 million player that has the fans questioning again.

“We have reassigned INF Konnor Griffin to minor league camp. There are now 34 players remaining in Major League camp,” reported the Pirates. But some fans have their own doubts.

The Pirates have reassigned Konnor Griffin to the minors after seeing his performance in the Spring Games. This decision confirms Griffin will not be part of the Opening Day roster. When he signed with the Pirates as a rookie, he signed a $6.35M contract.

But after looking at his performance in the minors, people believed that he was soon going to get a major league contract.

In the minors, Konnor Griffin batted with an average of .333 with 21 homers. In spring, he hit just .184, but showed massive power with four homers in 38 at-bats. Despite this, Ken Rosenthal argued that when compared to the other prospects like Jared Triolo and Nick Gonzales in the Pirates’ list for shortstops, Griffin has the highest upside.

This is a similar situation to that of Paul Skenes. Back in 2024, the Pirates didn’t give Skenes an opening day spot, but later integrated him. They might be planning the same with Griffin. But the thing that has made a lot of people question the Pirates is what Jon Heyman said.

Jon Heyman predicts that Griffin is going to sign a major league contract worth around $110 million. The doubt now is whether the Pirates are trying to really give Griffin time to settle down, or if they are pushing him to sign a contract by sending him down to the minors.

Pirates fans are very unhappy with management after Kroonor Griffin was sent to the minors

Just add Konnor Griffin to another player the Pittsburgh Pirates don’t want to pay. “Pretty sure this is a player control thing. They have another year or smth if they wait like a month to call him up,” commented a fan.

The fan’s point reflects MLB rules, where 172 service days equal one full year. Teams often delay call-ups by around 15 to 20 days to gain control. This tactic, called service time manipulation, has been widely documented across multiple franchises. The Chicago Cubs delayed Kris Bryant in 2015 despite strong minor league numbers.

“Looks like the Pirates are going to ruin him before he ever has a chance,” said another fan. The fan fears Griffin could lose confidence if delayed in the majors despite elite performance. His 2025 minor league stats included a .333 batting average with 21 home runs and 65 stolen bases. Similar concerns arose with service time delays, like with Gleyber Torres in 2018, who waited weeks after strong minor league numbers. Prolonged minor league stints risk slowing development and reducing exposure to top-level pitching challenges early.

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“Alika Williams over Konnor Griffin is legitimately laughable,” shouted a fan. The fan reacted to the Pirates choosing Williams over Griffin despite Griffin’s superior upside and tools. Griffin hit .333 across three minor league levels with 21 home runs in 2025. Williams showed defensive versatility but hit just .250 in the same spring Grapefruit League games. Historically, teams promoting defensive specialists over elite prospects, like Bo Bichette in 2019, often faced criticism when talent clearly outperformed opportunity.

“You will always suck, be a bottom feeder… Nutting has to mean cheap prick in some language,” angrily shouted on Pirate. The fan criticized Pirates ownership for consistently underinvesting, leading to weak rosters and poor results. Pittsburgh has finished last in the NL Central six times since 2015 with sub-.400 winning percentages. Management missed chances to acquire players like Francisco Lindor and Manny Machado, who transformed other teams immediately. This pattern of minimal spending and substandard talent often leaves the Pirates struggling as seasons begin.

“See you in 2027,” said the Pirates fan after the Pirates sent Griffin to the minors. The fan comment shows many supporters have mentally written off the 2026 season entirely. Pittsburgh finished 62-100 in 2025, and projections suggest another 100-loss season in 2026. The team still struggles with pitching depth, weak infield defense, and inconsistent lineup production.

The question now is, are the Pirates really moving towards becoming a winning franchise, or are they just becoming a business model on how not to run a baseball team?