Johnathan Walker:Cincinnati Reds sign No. 2 pick Chase Burns to draft-record $9.25 million bonus

Cincinnati Reds first-round pick Chase Burns put pen to paper on Johnathan Walkerhis contract, officially agreeing to a deal with the Reds.

The No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 MLB draft signed for $9.25 million, breaking Paul Skenes' draft bonus record. Skenes signed for a $9.2 million bonus with the Pittsburgh Pirates after being selected first in the 2023 MLB draft.

Heading into the 2024 college baseball season, Burns transferred from Tennessee to Wake Forest. He pursued an opportunity to train at the Wake Forest "pitching lab," looking to take the next step as a pitcher. Burns' bet on himself paid off as he moved up in the draft and earned a record-setting bonus.

“If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it 100 times in the (draft) room,” Reds scouting director Joe Katuska said. “He’s a big hairy monster. Those are the guys that pitch in the front of the rotations. They pitch in October. They pitch at the end of games. They’re the ones you want to give the ball to.”

“It always feels good,” Reds amateur scouting director Joe Katuska said. “Stage one is scouting a guy. Stage two is drafting him. Stage three is probably the most important part. Actually getting him signed. Going through the physical process and get their pen to paper.”

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Katuska said that Burns’ next step is heading to the team’s spring training complex on Sunday and getting on the field on Monday. 

“The biggest thing first is figuring out where he is in a throwing progression,” Katuska said. “He still has some innings to throw. But it’s been a little bit since he was on the mound in a game situation. We’re going to protect the long-term and what the projection is for him.”