Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Chase Burns has reached an agreement on a seven-year, $105 million contract extension that will keep him with the club through the 2033 season, according to two people familiar with the agreement who spoke to the Associated Press on Thursday.
Both sources requested anonymity because the Reds had not yet formally announced the deal. Under his current arrangement, Burns earns $785,000 when on the major league roster and $198,173 if he were to be sent down to the minors. The new contract does not contain any options or deferred money.
The extension covers three years of arbitration eligibility under the existing labor agreement, along with the first two seasons of what would have been Burns’ free agency window.
The 23-year-old right-hander earned his first All-Star Game selection this season, but was unable to take part after straining his right groin during a July 8 contest against Philadelphia. The injury occurred in the second inning while he attempted to field a throw home on a wild pitch.
Burns has been dominant on the mound this year, compiling an 11-1 record across 18 starts. Fifteen of those outings have seen him surrender two runs or fewer. His 11 victories are tied for second most in all of baseball, and his 2.54 ERA ranks sixth lowest in the majors. He has also struck out 118 batters, placing him seventh in the National League.
His fastball averages 97.8 miles per hour, and he pairs it with an above-average slider. Burns is posting a 31.7% whiff rate on swings, which ranks seventh across the majors.
With his performance before the All-Star break, Burns became just the third pitcher in Reds history to reach at least 11 wins and 118 strikeouts before the midsummer classic, joining Edinson Volquez, who accomplished the feat in 2008, and Jim Maloney, who did it in 1963.
The signing is the latest example of teams locking up young talent before they reach free agency. The Reds’ longtime NL Central rival, the St. Louis Cardinals, made a similar move last week, signing rookie second baseman JJ Wetherholt to an eight-year, $112.5 million contract.
Burns was chosen with the second overall pick in the 2024 amateur draft out of Wake Forest. He posted a 7-3 record and a 1.77 ERA in 13 starts in Cincinnati’s minor league system before earning a call-up to the majors last June. In his rookie season, he went 0-3 with a 4.57 ERA over 13 appearances, eight of which were starts.
The agreement is the largest guaranteed contract ever given to a pitcher with fewer than four years of major league service time, surpassing the previous benchmark by 40% among those with at least one year of service. Burns is also the first pitcher to sign a deal worth $100 million or more before reaching five years of service time without any club options attached.
The contract matches Homer Bailey’s record for the largest guaranteed deal ever awarded to a Reds pitcher and ranks third all-time in franchise history, behind only contracts given to Joey Votto and Ken Griffey Jr.
Burns is set to make his first start following the All-Star break on Tuesday in Seattle. Meanwhile, Cincinnati is struggling this season, sitting in last place in the NL Central with a 43-52 record — eight games back of a wild-card berth — after reaching the postseason a year ago.
