The Cincinnati Reds signed All-Star right-hander Chase Burns to a six-year extension worth $65 million guaranteed, with club options pushing the potential total to $95 million through 2031. Burns, 23, made his first All-Star team in July after posting a 2.41 ERA across 19 starts. The deal buys out all three arbitration years and two free-agent seasons, with team options for years seven and eight at $15 million each. The contract includes a full no-trade clause through 2028 and performance escalators tied to Cy Young voting. Burns signed Wednesday morning in the Reds' spring training facility in Goodyear; GM Nick Krall flew in Monday night.
The extension represents the largest guarantee ever given to a pitcher with fewer than 150 innings of major league experience. The previous high was the Braves' $35 million deal for Spencer Strider in April 2023, signed after Strider's 131.2 innings as a rookie reliever-turned-starter. Burns has thrown 112.1 innings for Cincinnati since his late-May debut, striking out 148 while walking just 28. The Reds drafted Burns second overall in 2024 out of Wake Forest, where he posted a 1.90 ERA with 191 strikeouts in 104.2 innings as a junior. He reached the majors 11 months after signing, skipping Triple-A entirely. His four-seam fastball averages 97.8 mph, and his slider generates a 44% whiff rate, third among starting pitchers with 100-plus sliders thrown this season.
The deal changes the calculation for clubs holding young pitching. Arbitration awards for starting pitchers have climbed 23% year-over-year since 2022, and Burns was projected to earn $8-12 million in his first arbitration hearing next winter after an All-Star campaign. The Reds instead bought certainty at an average annual value of $10.8 million, below what Burns would likely command in arbitration year two or three. For Cincinnati, the extension locks a rotation anchor through the competitive window opened by agreements to keep shortstop Elly De La Cruz and outfielder TJ Friedl under team control through 2029. The Reds have not reached the postseason since 2020 and posted a 76-86 record last year. Attendance at Great American Ball Park averaged 20,412 in 2024, 22nd in MLB and down 6% from 2023. Sponsorship revenue has been flat since 2022, according to two executives familiar with the club's financials, and Cincinnati's regional sports network deal with Bally Sports expires after the 2026 season. Burns gives the Reds a marquee asset to anchor broadcast and jersey sales negotiations.
The extension also sets a new baseline for pitcher extensions league-wide. Strider's $35 million deal last April was considered aggressive; the Orioles signed Grayson Rodriguez to $37 million guaranteed in June, adding $80 million in club options. The Burns structure suggests teams are willing to pay $50-65 million to control a young ace through age 29-30, even before arbitration. The Reds' move follows Atlanta's broader strategy of locking homegrown stars early—Acuña, Albies, Riley, and Strider all signed below-market extensions that bought out arbitration and early free agency. Cincinnati has historically avoided this model, preferring to trade pitchers before arbitration (see: Luis Castillo to Seattle for $108 million after the Reds declined to extend him). The Burns deal signals ownership is backing Krall's rebuild with real dollars, not just draft capital.
The contract includes a unique clause tying escalators to All-Star selections and top-five Cy Young finishes. Each All-Star appearance adds $500,000 to the following year's salary; a top-five Cy Young finish adds $1 million. If Burns wins the award, the club options vest automatically at $18 million per year instead of $15 million. The structure protects Cincinnati from overpaying if Burns regresses, while giving Burns upside if he becomes a perennial ace. The no-trade clause expires if the Reds finish below .500 in consecutive seasons, a provision inserted by Burns' agent, Scott Boras, who has historically resisted long-term team-friendly deals. Boras represented Strider and Rodriguez as well; the three contracts suggest he has softened his stance on pre-arbitration extensions when the guarantee exceeds $60 million.
Watch for other clubs with young starting pitchers to move before the 2025 arbitration deadline in January. The Orioles have not yet extended Kyle Bradish, who is 27 and enters his first arbitration winter. The Rays have five starting pitchers under 26 with sub-3.00 ERAs; Tampa Bay traditionally trades pitchers before arbitration, but Shane Baz is a candidate for a Strider-style deal. The Reds' next decision is whether to extend second baseman Matt McLain, who is 24 and recovering from shoulder surgery. McLain's agent is also Boras, and the Reds have $15 million in payroll space before hitting their self-imposed $130 million luxury tax threshold. The team's new Spring Training facility in Goodyear opens in February 2026; ownership wants a competitive roster in place for the debut.
The Burns extension also clarifies Cincinnati's rotation hierarchy. Right-hander Hunter Greene, 25, is entering his second arbitration year and was projected to earn $6-8 million. Greene's camp now has a comparable for negotiations: Burns, with fewer innings, got $10.8 million annually. Greene is unlikely to accept a below-market extension after watching Burns secure generational money. The Reds will likely non-tender Greene or trade him before his 2026 arbitration hearing, when his projected salary exceeds $12 million. Cleveland, Atlanta, and the Dodgers have inquired about Greene's availability in the past six months, according to a rival GM. Cincinnati values prospect capital over payroll flexibility, and a Greene trade would restock a farm system ranked 18th by Baseball America after graduating Burns and McLain. The front office has until November 15 to decide whether to tender Greene a contract. Burns' extension makes that decision easier.
The takeaway
Cincinnati's **$65M** deal for Chase Burns rewrites the pre-arbitration pitcher market and forces rivals to move faster on young aces before salary leverage shifts.
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