Reds Lock Up Chase Burns on 7-Year, $105M Extension

Sport

By lines

July 16, 2026

Pop-art handshake over a contract, illustrating the Chase Burns Reds extension

The Chase Burns extension is official, and the Cincinnati Reds just bet $105 million on their 23-year-old ace. Burns agreed to a seven-year deal through 2033, sources told ESPN and the Associated Press. The right-hander enters the break at 11-1 with a 2.54 ERA.

Why Cincinnati Paid Ace Money for 26 Career Starts

The deal runs from 2027 through 2033 and carries no club options, per MLB Trade Rumors. Jon Morosi of MLB Network first reported the agreement Thursday. The contract buys out two of Burns’ free-agent years, sources said. Cincinnati guaranteed $105 million to a pitcher with 26 career starts.

Burns owns an 11-1 record with a 2.54 ERA and 118 strikeouts across 102 2/3 innings. Burns’ fastball averages 97.9 mph, the second-hardest among big-league starters, per ESPN. The 23-year-old earned his first All-Star selection in 2026. Burns pairs that velocity with one of the sport’s most feared sliders.

The $105 million guarantee is the largest ever for a pitcher with under four years of service, per ESPN. The extension ranks third in Reds history behind Joey Votto and Ken Griffey Jr. Votto signed a 10-year, $225 million extension with Cincinnati. Griffey Jr. inked a nine-year, $116.5 million contract with the club.

The bet carries risk given Burns’ 26 career starts and 102 2/3 innings. Cincinnati counters that Burns’ 97.9 mph average velocity ranks second among all starters. Front offices now pay young arms early to skip arbitration raises. The Reds chose seven years of cost certainty over annual increases.

Cincinnati now controls its ace, Chase Burns, through the 2033 season. The move secures a rotation anchor for the club’s next contention window. Burns entered Thursday as a National League Cy Young candidate in his first full season. The deal also resets the market for pitchers with under four years of service.

The seven-year pact locks in before Burns reached salary arbitration. Burns had earned near the league minimum as a pre-arbitration pitcher. The Reds now guarantee $105 million rather than negotiate year to year. All seven seasons carry guaranteed money with no club options.

Burns next takes the mound as Cincinnati pushes through the season’s second half. The Reds open their post-All-Star schedule with Burns fronting the rotation. Burns’ 2.54 ERA and 97.9 mph fastball make every start appointment viewing. Cincinnati has now tied its future to a 23-year-old with 26 career starts.