Chase Burns’ emergence gave the Reds more than a front-line starter in 2026. It also gave them a contract they may be envying the rest of the league for before long.
The right-hander’s breakout season came with a seven-year extension that locks him in through 2033 at a guaranteed $105 million. That alone made him one of the best-paid 23-year-olds in the country, but the real twist is how quickly the deal could start looking light.
Burns handled a full starter’s workload, piling up 154⅓ innings, and backed it up with a 2.86 ERA and 3.24 FIP. That was enough to cement him as ace material for Cincinnati, and enough to make the extension feel like a major win for the organization.
The timing matters, too. The NL Central is packed with top-end arms, including last year’s Cy Young winner, Paul Skenes, and the presumptive 2026 winner, Jacob Misiorowski. Both are expected to negotiate extensions in the near future, if they haven’t already, and that should push the market higher for pitchers who still have multiple years of team control.
That’s why Burns’ deal looks even smarter now: the Reds got ahead of the curve.
He still has work to do before he belongs in the same conversation as Skenes and Misiorowski, but Cincinnati is clearly banking on him eventually reaching that level. No matter how Hunter Greene rebounds from his elbow surgery in 2028, or what changes Andrew Abbott makes in his attempt to get back to All-Star form, Burns is expected to be the anchor of the rotation.
Viewed that way, the extension is really a wager on what Burns becomes rather than what he already is. The best example of that kind of deal paying off comes from another NL Central club: Chicago’s Pete Crow-Armstrong signed a $115 deal before the season, then went on to run away with the NL MVP award. His contract already looks like a bargain, and Burns’ could land in that same category if he continues on this path.
There is risk here, of course. An injury, like Greene’s, or a drop in performance could change the story fast. But with Skenes and Misiorowski likely to command more than double Burns’ total, the Reds’ price point is tough to knock.
Now it’s on Burns to make the contract look as smart as it already seems.
In Other News...
Reds Face One Fascinating 40-Man Decision Fans Will Debate
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Carter Graham looks like the safest bet to get the call, which only sharpens the conversation around the rest of the class. Cam Collier is the biggest question mark in the group, and his status makes this more than a routine paperwork exercise for Cincinnati. Even if the calendar shifts, the roster math does not, and the Reds will have to decide which young players are worth carrying forward now rather than risking them elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Avoided A Risky Steven Kwan Decision They Couldn't Afford
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The bigger issue was the price. Any serious run at a player of Kwans caliber would have meant parting with real future value, the kind of package that could start with top prospects and quickly get uncomfortable for a front office trying to protect its long-term plan. Even if Cincinnati had found a way to make the trade work, the budget picture made a follow-up extension feel unlikely, which is exactly why this was the sort of move the Reds could admire from a distance but probably not afford to make. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Could Have A Cheap Answer To Their Outfield Problem
The Reds are still looking for a clean answer in the outfield after last seasons group fell short, and the free-agent market at least offers a name that fits the kind of short-term gamble Cincinnati might prefer. Jim Bowden of The Athletic recently pointed to Taylor Ward as a possible match, noting that the fit could come on a one-year deal if the Reds want to patch the position without making a long commitment.
Ward brings a more complicated profile than a simple rebound candidate. He turned in a strong 2025 season, but 2026 was a rougher run after he was traded twice, and the late-season dip has raised real questions about what kind of production comes next and how much a team should be willing to pay for the bounce-back bet. For a Reds club trying to solve an obvious need without blocking its longer-term plans, that kind of profile is exactly the sort of name worth watching. [Read more 🡒]