Chase Burns lands massive 7-year, $105 million extension with Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Reds have locked in one of baseball’s brightest young arms for the long haul. All-Star right-hander Chase Burns and the club have agreed on a seven-year, $105 million contract extension. The deal keeps the 23-year-old star in Cincinnati through the 2033 season and stands as the largest ever given to a pitcher who has yet to reach arbitration.

Record-breaking deal details

The extension buys out two free-agent years and contains no club options. At $105 million guaranteed, it ranks as the third-largest contract in the Reds franchise history. Only Joey Votto’s 10-year, $225 million pact and Ken Griffey Jr.’s nine-year, $116.5 million deal sit higher. Burns is earning $785,000 in the current season, making the new deal a massive jump that signals the organization’s full faith in his future.

Dominant first full season

Chase Burns has been nothing short of spectacular in his first full big-league campaign. The right-hander sits at 11-1 with a sparkling 2.54 ERA and 118 strikeouts across 102⅔ innings. His slider ranks among the best in baseball, while his fastball averages 97.9 mph, the second-hardest among all major-league starters. Hitters are managing just a .206/.277/.358 slash line against him, and his 31.7% swing-and-miss rate sits seventh in the majors. Those numbers have many around the game already whispering Cy Young Award contender.

From draft say star to rotation ace

Selected second overall by the Cincinnati Reds in the 2024 draft out of Wake Forest, Burns reached the majors after only 66 innings across 13 minor-league starts. He signed for a then-record $9.25 million bonus after a junior season in which he struck out 191 batters in 100 innings. After two years at Tennessee, he thrived in Wake Forest’s elite pitching program. His 2024 big-league debut showed promise: 67 strikeouts against 16 walks in 43⅓ innings, but a 4.57 ERA did not fully capture the dominance that has now arrived.

Standing 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds with a clean, powerful delivery, Burns has quickly become a pitcher the Reds can build around. Evaluators once questioned whether the lack of a polished third pitch would hold him back. His changeup remains a work in progress, yet the two-pitch combination of elite velocity and a devastating slider has been more than enough.

Anchoring the Reds' rotation for years

Cincinnati Burns already accounts for more than a quarter of the wins for a 43-52 Reds team that sits last in the National League Central. Cincinnati’s offense ranks second-worst in the league in runs scored, making his reliability even more valuable. The club plans to pair him at the top of the rotation with fellow hard-throwing right-hander Hunter Greene, creating one of the most exciting young pitching tandems in baseball.

By securing Burns now, the Reds have avoided a future free-agent bidding war and given their fans a clear cornerstone for the next decade.