3 Players Reds Should Sign to Contract Extensions Before Arbitration

On Monday, the Milwaukee Brewers reportedly agreed to a massive eight-year contract extension with one of their top prospects, Cooper Pratt, to lock him down for nearly the next decade.

The Brewers are one of the best-run organizations in the league. Making a move like this is committing to the future, and it's something the Cincinnati Reds should look to do, too.

The Reds have plenty of pre-arbitration players on their roster who they could look to sign to big contract extensions.

They've already reportedly discussed extensions with Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain, so I'm going to leave those two off this list. Aside from those two, which three players should the Reds pursue contract extensions with this season and into the offseason?

Infielder Sal Stewart

Cincinnati Reds designated hitter Sal Stewart (27) walks in the first inning of the MLB Interleague game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Boston Red Sox at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, March 29, 2026. The game was scoreless after three innings. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Reds need to lock down star infielder Sal Stewart as soon as possible. If they don't, he's very quickly going to hit himself out of the Reds budget.

Stewart is one of the hottest hitters in baseball, and he's coming off National League Player of the Week honors. Through four games, Stewart is slashing .667/.765/.1.167 with an OPS near 2.000. He's eight for 12 at the dish with three doubles, a home run, five walks, and only one strikeout.

Stewart also plays with fire and passion. He seems to love the Reds. Signing him to a massive 8 to 10-year contract to make sure he plays a bulk of his prime in the Queen City is exactly the move the Reds could look to make.

Starting Pitcher Chase Burns

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Chase Burn — Cincinnati Reds director of pitching Derek Johnson (36) talks with pitcher Chase Burns (26) during a warmup session at the Cincinnati Reds player development complex in Goodyear, Ariz., on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Reds starter Chase Burns has a chance to be one of the best pitchers in the league, and that potential was showcased in a big way during his first start of the season on Monday. Burns tossed five shutout innings while allowing just one hit and three walks. He struck out seven Pittsburgh Pirates hitters, as he had three plus pitches on display.

Burns' potential is through the roof. He's only getting better as he's made fewer than a dozen starts at the big league level.

Big-time fastballs like Burns' come with some injury risk. He doesn't have a big injury history, especially with his arm, so the Reds should be comfortable giving him a big contract extension. If the Reds don't sign him early, they're going to run the risk of losing him when his contract runs out. Taking a page out of Milwaukee's book would be the right decision for the Reds in regards to Burns.

Starting Pitcher Rhett Lowder

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Rhett Lowder (25) walks off the mound at the end of the top of the second inning of the MLB Interleague game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Boston Red Sox at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, March 29, 2026. The game was scoreless after three innings. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Rhett Lowder is one of the more intriguing pitchers in Cincinnati, and he seems to be one of Terry Francona's favorite players on the team. Lowder is an old-school pitcher who relies on movement, location, and pitchability instead of velocity.

And it's allowed him to dominate during the early stages of his big league career.

Lowder should be more affordable than the other two players on this list. It might not make sense to sign him to an extension right now, but the Reds should explore that idea over the coming months and into the offseason. This team would look a lot better for the future if Lowder were locked down for the next eight years.