Reds lock up Chase Burns on seven-year, $105 million deal
The 23-year-old All-Star right-hander is set to stay in Cincinnati through 2033, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
2 min read
Chase Burns and the Cincinnati Reds have agreed to a seven-year, $105 million contract extension, sources told ESPN’s Jeff Passan on Thursday.
The agreement keeps the 23-year-old All-Star right-hander tied to Cincinnati through 2033, according to the report. ESPN reported the deal contains no club options and covers two seasons in which Burns otherwise could have reached free agency.
For a Reds club searching for steadiness, the move is a major commitment to the one arm that has kept delivering. Burns is 11-1 with a 2.54 earned run average and 118 strikeouts across 18 starts this season, according to ESPN.
ESPN reported the contract is the largest ever for a pitcher with fewer than four years of Major League Baseball service time. Burns is only in his second season, but the Reds are paying him like a cornerstone.
A fast rise in Cincinnati
Burns entered the organization as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 draft after pitching at Wake Forest. According to ESPN, he reached the majors less than a year after being selected.
His rookie season showed the swing-and-miss stuff that made him such a prized pick. ESPN reported that Burns posted a 35.6% strikeout rate over 43⅓ innings as a rookie, while finishing that season with a 4.57 earned run average.
This season has been a sharp step forward. Burns has moved quickly into ace territory for Cincinnati, according to ESPN, and his numbers have backed up that climb.
The timing matters for the Reds. Cincinnati entered the All-Star break at 43-52 and in last place in the National League Central, ESPN reported. Amid that rough position in the standings, Burns has been described by ESPN as the team’s lone constant.
What the deal covers
The agreement runs seven years and totals $105 million, according to sources cited by Passan. It extends through the 2033 season and does not include club options, per ESPN.
By buying out two free-agent years, the Reds gain long-term control over a pitcher who has already become one of the standout young starters in the sport, according to ESPN’s reporting.
For Burns, the deal delivers security early in his career after a rapid climb from top draft pick to All-Star starter. For Cincinnati, it plants a flag around a pitcher the club clearly sees as central to its future.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.