Cincinnati Reds pitcher Chase Burns has signed a seven-year, $105 million contract extension, a deal confirmed by The Post's Jon Heyman. This agreement is tied for the largest in the franchise's history and represents the most significant guaranteed sum for a pitcher with fewer than four years of major league service time. The contract includes no options or deferrals.
Burns, 23, has emerged as the ace the Reds envisioned when they selected him with the second overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. This season, he has compiled an 11-1 record with a 2.54 earned run average over 18 starts, recording 118 strikeouts in 102 2/3 innings. His performance has earned him his first All-Star selection and positions him as a potential Cy Young Award candidate, with his ERA currently ranking among the lowest in the sport.
The extension secures a top starting pitcher for the Reds through the 2033 season and buys out Burns' initial free agency years in exchange for a higher salary now. This type of long-term deal, where players receive a larger upfront payment in exchange for earlier commitment, has become increasingly common in Major League Baseball. Similar extensions have recently been given to players like the Red Sox's Roman Anthony and the Tigers' Kevin McGonigle.
Despite Burns' individual success, the Reds currently sit in last place in the NL Central with a 43-52 record, eight games out of a playoff spot. The deal comes as the league approaches potentially contentious Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations, with some observers pointing to such extensions as evidence of team owners' capacity to spend on player salaries.
For a mid-market team like the Reds, securing a franchise pitcher through an extension is a strategic move. Great American Ball Park's hitter-friendly dimensions and the team's history of struggling to win free-agent bidding wars make retaining and extending homegrown talent like Burns particularly important for building a competitive roster.