Reds' Record Extension
Cincinnati Reds Secure Pitcher Chase Burns on Record 7-Year, $105 Million Extension
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Key Points
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The seven-year extension buys out two free-agent years and contains no club or player options.
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Burns sits 11-1 this season with a 2.54 ERA and 118 strikeouts in 102 2/3 innings by the All-Star break.
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His slider is a monster pitch—about 51.2% whiff rate—with opponents hitting .154 against it and slugging .265, and he has thrown 95 changeups this season.
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Burns was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft out of Wake Forest and made his MLB debut the season prior.
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The deal ties the Reds to a franchise-record for the largest guaranteed pitcher extension, a mark previously set in relation to Homer Bailey.
The Cincinnati Reds have locked up Chase Burns on a seven-year, $105 million extension, the largest guaranteed deal ever given to a pitcher with fewer than four years of MLB service, according to Yahoo Sports. The contract runs from 2027 through 2033, with no opt-outs and no deferred money.
Burns, just 23 years old, is 11-1 with a 2.54 ERA and 118 strikeouts in 102.2 innings this season. He made the All-Star Game in just his second year in the big leagues. The Reds are betting big that he stays that good for a long time.
A Record Deal Buys Out Burns' Best Years
The extension kicks in during the 2027 season and runs through 2033, buying out two years Burns could have sold on the open market as a free agent. There are no club options or player options attached, according to Yahoo Sports. Both sides are locked in — no escape hatches.
The deal ties the franchise record for the largest guaranteed pitcher extension in Reds history, a mark previously tied to Homer Bailey. At $15 million per year on average, the Reds are paying top-of-market money for a pitcher who has made just 26 big-league starts.
Burns' Slider Makes Hitters Look Helpless
The numbers behind Burns' breakout season are hard to ignore. He carries a 2.54 ERA with 118 strikeouts across 102.2 innings. His slider is his best weapon — opponents hit just .154 against it and slug only .265, with a whiff rate of about 51.2%. That means hitters swing and miss on roughly half their attempts at the pitch.
He has also thrown 95 changeups this season, showing he is not a one-pitch pitcher. Burns was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft out of Wake Forest. He got to the majors fast and has looked ready from day one.
Burns and Greene Form a Two-Ace Foundation
The Reds already have Hunter Greene locked up through at least 2029. Now Burns is secured through 2033. That gives Cincinnati two frontline starters in their mid-20s for the next several years. It is the kind of pitching core most teams spend years trying to build, according to Sporting News.
The Reds are near the bottom of the NL Central this season, but the front office is clearly building for the future. They also have shortstop Elly De La Cruz and prospect Sal Stewart in their plans. Locking up Burns fits a clear pattern: find young stars, sign them early, and grow together.
A Big Bet on a Struggling Team's Brightest Light
Cincinnati is not winning right now. The team sits near the bottom of its division. But the Burns deal sends a message: the Reds are not giving up on the future. Paying $105 million with no safety net takes confidence, according to Sporting News.
For Reds fans, this is exactly the kind of move they have wanted to see. Burns is young, dominant, and now staying put. If the lineup grows around him and Greene, Cincinnati could look very different by 2027 — right when this deal begins.
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