Reds sign Chase Burns to seven-year $105M deal

The Cincinnati Reds have secured their breakout star pitcher Chase Burns with a record-setting contract, agreeing to a seven-year, $105 million deal that will keep the right-hander with the club through the 2033 season, according to multiple reports on Thursday, July 16, 2026.

The agreement represents the largest financial guarantee in Major League Baseball history for a pitcher with less than four years of service time. The contract, which begins next season, includes no option years or deferred money and covers three seasons of arbitration eligibility plus two additional years of club control beyond Burns's initial free agency eligibility.

Burns, 23, has emerged as one of baseball's most dominant young arms in his first full major league season. The second overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, who debuted in June 2025, has compiled an 11-1 record with a 2.54 earned run average across 18 starts this year. He has struck out 118 batters in 102.2 innings while holding opposing hitters to a .206 average. His performance earned him a selection to the 2026 All-Star Game, though he did not participate due to a tight right groin sustained in a game on July 8.