Weekly Report: Konnor Deal Finalized, 50-50 Week, Cruz Hot, City Connect Unis On Deck

Are they for real...?

Pirates Stuff:

• As leaked by the sporting media, 19-year-old SS Kevin Griffin agreed to a nine-year/$140M contract with the Pirates on Wednesday that included a $12M signing bonus less than a week after his MLB debut. The deal was the largest in club history and includes incentives that could raise the total value to $150M. Griffin was selected ninth overall in 2024 as the first high school player taken. 
• IF Enmanuel Valdez, who was DFA'ed when Konnor Griffin was called up, cleared waivers and was outrighted to Indy.
  

Oneil sporting his City Connect outfit.

• Oneil Cruz has an 11-game hitting streak going on, tying the longest such streak of his career and is the longest current active streak in MLB.
• The Pirates showed off their '26 black-and-gold City Connect unis. They'll debut the new duds on April 17 at PNC v the Rays.
• For our trivia fans, the Pirates starters' streak of homer-less frames ended Tuesday at 53-1/3 IP when Paul Skenes was touched up for a solo shot. It additionally ended a two-year losing streak along the Allegheny to the San Diego squad, and also marked the first time Skenes and Konnor Griffin played together. Whew!

Game Stuff:

• The Bucs were as sloppy as the weather on Monday and dropped the opener of a three-gamer to San Diego, 5-0. TOOTBLAN's, fielding comedy, 10 runners stranded...it wasn't a pretty show by the home nine. 
• After losing seven straight to the Friars at PNC, Paul Skenes said enough. He went 6-1/3 IP, giving up a run on two hits & two walks with six K after 87 pitches and left with a 2-1 lead. The Bucs bats went oppo field crazy, and when the smoke cleared, it was a 7-1 Tuesday dub for the boys. Ryan O'Hearn, Konnor Griffin and Henry Davis had two raps; Oneil Cruz, Nick Gonzales and Griffin chased home a pair.
• Mitch was strong again on Wednesday with six scoreless frames, but Justin Lawrence and Jose Urquidy were toasted as SD took the series 8-2. The Bucs booted three balls and went 1-for-9 w/RISP while the Padres OF made a couple of glovely plays to keep the Bucs at bay when they were trying to make it a game.
• After a day of rest, it was off to Wrigley Field for a weekend trio. On Friday, Carmen Mlodzinski dodged some bullets but got into the sixth with a shutout while Shota Imanaga was brilliant over six. In the seventh, Bryan Reynolds bopped a two-run shot off Caleb Thielbar and the Bucs took the opener, 2-0.

Yohan Ramirez - 2025 photo Tim Vizer/Imagn Images

• Braxton Ashcraft was spectacular with nine fans in five frames while Oneil Cruz was 4-for-4 with three swiped sacks and Nick Yorke was 3-for-4, but singletons scored off Justin Lawrence and Dennis Santana out of an overworked pen left it tied 3-3 after regulation. It was Yohan Ramirez to the resue, tossing two shutout innings despite being a bit wild, and aided by a thrown-away two-out dribbler by the Cubbies Caleb Thielbar (tough coupla days for him), the Corsairs claimed a 4-3, 11-inning dub at Wrigley.
• Despite Brandon Lowe banging two homers - one a granny - and being up 5-0 and 6-1, the Bucs were walked off in the Chicago finale 7-6. Seven walks, leaky OF defense and trying to protect a lead with Justin Lawrence and Jose Urquidy proved too much to overcome; no sweep today *sigh*.
• The Pirates return to PNC for a seven-game stand - four v the Washington Nats and three against the Tampa Bay Rays.

MLB Stuff: 

• The Blues Jays called up LHP Josh Fleming, who last pitched in the bigs for Pittsburgh in 2024 (1-1-1/4.02, 25 games), used him once, DFA'ed him and then resigned him to a minor league deal.
• The Atlanta Braves have DFA'ed LHP Martin Perez, 35, who got 16 starts for the 2024 Pirates (2-5/5.20).
• The NY Mets, who recently signed OF Tommy Pham to a minor league deal, are reported to be calling him up on Monday for the LA series.