When Cincinnati Reds starter Hunter Greene was asked recently about his rotation mate, Chase Burns, he couldn’t stop complimenting the young starter for his quick ascent from college baseball at Wake Forest to the big leagues. If the praise directed toward the 23-year-old emerging star sounded somewhat familiar in the Reds clubhouse, it’s because it was.“I see so much of myself in him,” Greene said.The Reds have seen enough of Burns to reward him with a seven-year deal worth $105 million, with no deferred money or option years, sources confirmed to The Athletic. An official announcement isn’t expected until today.The contract ties the second-year starter to the Reds through the 2033 season. It also ties him to the 26-year-old Greene, who is under team control through 2029 under the five-year extension with a team option he signed early in the 2023 season.With Greene and Burns in the fold, the Reds see a one-two punch atop their rotation that could make the franchise a formidable postseason foe for years to come. But first, the team’s front office will have to figure out a way to fill out the rest of a roster that will put the Reds in position to get there.Coming off a playoff appearance in 2025, the Reds had high expectations. But after a quick start, Cincinnati’s 23-41 record since May 1 is the worst in Major League Baseball. Burns, one of the team’s few bright spots this year, gives a glimmer of hope to the future in a season that has offered little.Chase Burns defeated Jacob Misiorowski and the Milwaukee Brewers in his next-to-last start before the All-Star break. (John Fisher / Getty Images)Still in his first full big-league season, Burns not only made the All-Star team, but he’s also among the favorites for the National League Cy Young Award, even outdueling front-runner Jacob Misiorowski in his penultimate start before the break. Burns is 11-1 with a 2.54 ERA through 18 starts this season, with a shot to become just the second 20-game winner for the Reds since 1989.While Burns’ 11 wins already surpass Greene’s career high of nine, the similarities between them go beyond their ability to consistently throw a baseball 100 mph.Both right-handed starters: