All-Star Chase Burns received the largest deal given to a pitcher with less than four years of MLB service time. Jeff Dean / Getty ImagesJuly 16, 2026 Updated 1:15 pm EDTThe Cincinnati Reds and righty Chase Burns have agreed to a seven-year, $105-million deal, a league source confirmed to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. MLB Network’s Jon Morosi was the first to report the deal.The deal, which contains no options of deferrals, is the largest ever given to a pitcher with less than four years of MLB service time according to the source, who was granted anonymity to discuss the negotiations.Burns, 23, was an All-Star this year, his second season in the majors. He’s 11-1 with a 2.54 ERA in 18 starts in 2026 after making 13 appearances last year.Burns wasn’t set to become a free agent until 2032. The Reds drafted him with the No. 2 pick in 2024 out of Wake Forest.It’s not the first time a Burns contract set a record. When he was drafted, he received a $9.25 million signing bonus, which broke the standard set by the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Paul Skenes out of LSU the year before.This story will be updated.
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