Reds lock up former No. 2 pick on 6-year contract extension

Apr 5, 2022; Goodyear, Arizona, USA; Cincinnati Reds pitcher Hunter Greene against the Seattle Mariners during a spring training game at Goodyear Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Cincinnati Reds have signed their former No. 2 overall pick to a nice contract extension.

The Reds on Tuesday gave pitcher Hunter Greene a 6-year, $53 million contract. The contract begins this season and keeps the 23-year-old with Cincinnati through 2028. There is also a team option for 2029.

Hunter Greene Reds deal:

$53M guaranteed over 6 years with team option for 2029 that takes it to $72M if exercised

Escalator for 2028 and the option year, so deal could max out at $91.2M
 
Second-largest contract ever for a pitcher with 1+ service time

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) April 18, 2023

Greene only has one year of service time, so signing the contract now gets him some more money early in his career in exchange for buying out potentially two years of his free agency. If the Reds exercise the $21 million option for 2029 (there is a $2 million buyout), then they will have had him for two of his potential free agent years.

Had Greene not signed the extension, he would have had one more pre-arbitration year and then three arbitration years before becoming a free agent after 2027.

Greene was the No. 2 overall pick in 2017. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2019 and did not pitch again until 2021.

Last year, Greene made his MLB debut and went 5-13 with a 4.44 ERA and 1.21 WHIP. He had 164 strikeouts in 125.2 innings pitched. This season, Greene has allowed 20 hits in 17 innings with 24 strikeouts.

Greene averages 99 mph on his fastball and is one of the hardest throwers in the game. He is primarily a fastball-slider pitcher.