The Cincinnati Reds finalized a $105 million, seven-year contract with All-Star right-hander Chase Burns on Saturday, a deal momentarily delayed when general manager Brad Meador spilled coffee on the paperwork. The 23-year-old, selected second overall in the 2024 draft out of Wake Forest, is 11-1 with a 2.54 ERA this season.

The agreement runs through 2033 and represents the largest guaranteed contract for a pitcher with less than four years of service time, exceeding the previous benchmark by 40%. Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall called the timing right, saying "the sky's the limit" for Burns, who becomes the second Reds player to earn an All-Star nod within two years of being drafted.

The move continues Cincinnati's pattern of securing young talent early, following Hunter Greene's $53 million extension in 2023. It also mirrors the rival St. Louis Cardinals' recent $112.5 million deal for rookie JJ Wetherholt. Burns said the core group including infielders Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart is building toward a championship.