Chase Burns and the Reds Agree to a Huge $105 Million Deal

What Happened?

On Thursday, news broke that Chase Burns, a star pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds, and the team have agreed to a big new contract.

• Chase Burns is an All-Star right-handed pitcher (that means he throws with his right hand).
• The Cincinnati Reds are the baseball team he plays for.
• They agreed to a seven-year, $105 million contract extension, according to sources who spoke to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
• A "contract extension" is like a promise to keep working together for more years, with more money.

Important Point: This is the largest contract ever given to a pitcher who has played less than four years in Major League Baseball (MLB).

Who Is Chase Burns?

Chase Burns is only 23 years old, but he is already one of the best young pitchers in baseball.

Here is how good he has been this season:

• He has won 11 games and lost only 1.
• His ERA is 2.54. (ERA means "Earned Run Average"—it shows how many runs a pitcher lets the other team score on average. Lower is better!)
• He has 118 strikeouts in 18 starts. (A strikeout is when the pitcher makes the batter miss or fail to hit the ball three times, and the batter is out.)
• This is just his second season playing in the big leagues.

Details of the Contract

Let’s look at the boring-but-important stuff made simple:

• The deal lasts 7 years and pays $105 million.
• It runs through the year 2033.
• It "buys out" two of the years when Burns could have become a free agent. (A free agent is a player who can choose to join any team they want.)
• There are no club options. That means the team cannot choose to extend or cancel extra years—the deal is fixed.

Important Point: Burns has quickly become the "ace" of the Reds. An ace is the team’s best starting pitcher.

How Did He Get Here So Fast?

Burns was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 MLB draft, which means he was the second player chosen from college players. He played at Wake Forest school before going pro.

• He made his big league debut (his first game) less than a year after the draft.
• In his first season, he pitched 43 and 1/3 innings.
• He had a strikeout rate of 35.6%. (That means more than 1 out of 3 batters he faced struck out!)
• His ERA in that rookie season was 4.57, which is okay but not as good as now.

The Reds’ Situation

Even though Burns is awesome, the Reds have had a tough year.

• Their record is 43 wins and 52 losses.
• They are in last place in the National Central division after the All-Star break (the mid-season pause).
• Burns has been the "only constant," meaning he is the one reliable bright spot on the team.

Summary

Chase Burns, a 23-year-old All-Star pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds, agreed to a 7-year, $105 million contract extension—the biggest ever for a pitcher with under four years of MLB experience. He is 11-1 with a 2.54 ERA and 118 strikeouts this season, and the deal runs through 2033 with no club options. Drafted second overall in 2024, he became a star almost immediately and is now the best pitcher on a struggling Reds team.

FAQ

1. What does "ERA" mean?
ERA stands for Earned Run Average. It shows how many earned runs a pitcher allows per 9 innings. A lower ERA means the pitcher is doing a better job of stopping the other team from scoring.

2. What is a free agent?
A free agent is a player whose contract with a team has ended, so they are free to sign with any team they choose.

3. Why is this contract such a big deal?
It is the largest ever given to a pitcher who has played fewer than four years in MLB. It shows the Reds really believe Burns will be great for a long time.

4. What is a club option?
A club option is a choice written into a contract that lets the team decide to add an extra year (or not). Burns’ deal has no club options, so the 7 years are set in stone.