Pitcher Chase Burns has agreed to a $105 million, seven-year contract with the Cincinnati Reds that covers 2027-33, two people familiar with the deal told the Associated Press on Thursday.
The people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced. Burns has a $785,000 salary while in the major leagues this year and $198,173 in the unlikely event he is sent to the minors.
Burns' deal would run through the 2033 season
and under the current labor contract covers three seasons of arbitration eligibility and the first two years after he would have been eligible for free agency. It does not include options or deferrals.
The 23-year old right-hander was selected to the All-Star Game this season for the first time, but did not participate after he tweaked his right groin during a July 8 game against Philadelphia when trying to field the throw home on a wild pitch during the second inning.
Burns is 11-1 in 18 starts this season, including 15 starts where he has allowed two runs or fewer. His wins are tied for second most in the majors and his 2.54 ERA is the sixth lowest. His 118 strikeouts are seventh in the National League.
His fastball has an average velocity of 97.8 mph along with an above-average slider, Burns is generating a 31.7% whiff rate on swings, seventh in the majors.
Burns is the third pitcher in club history with at least 11 wins and 118 strikeouts before the All-Star break, joining Edinson Volquez (2008) and Jim Maloney (1963).
The contract extension also continues the trend of teams signing their young stars early. The Reds' longtime NL Central rival, the St. Louis Cardinals, signed rookie second baseman JJ Wetherholt to a $112.5 million, eight-year contract last week.
Burns was the second overall pick out of Wake Forest in the 2024 amateur draft. He went 7-3 with a 1.77 ERA in 13 starts in the Reds' farm system before being called up to the majors last June. He was 0-3 with a 4.57 ERA in 13 games, including eight starts, in his rookie season.
It is the largest guaranteed contract in the majors given to a pitcher with less than four years of service time and exceeds the previous high by 40% for someone with one year or more.
Burns is also the first pitcher to sign a contract worth at least $100 million prior to at least five years of service time to exclude club options.
The deal ties Homer Bailey's for the largest guarantee given to a Reds' pitcher and the third largest for any player in franchise history, only eclipsed by Joey Votto and Ken Griffey Jr.
Burns' first start after the All-Star break is scheduled for Tuesday at Seattle. After making the postseason last year, Cincinnati is in last place in the NL Central with a 43-52 mark and eight games out of a wild-card spot.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
