Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Hunter Greene (21) throws a pitch in the second inning of the MLB Interleague game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Tampa Bay Rays at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Monday, April 17, 2023. The Reds won 8-1.
Tampa Bay Rays At Cincinnati Reds
The offseason may be over, but there has been plenty of news during the season. Here’s a breakdown and MLB rumors roundup.
The common theme of the first few weeks of the regular season has been the number of contract extensions. There have been a plethora in recent weeks, with pitchers Hunter Greene and Pablo Lopez becoming the latest players to sign long-term pacts.
The Greene deal came out of left field — he’s only 23 and in his second season in the majors — but the deal makes plenty of sense for the player and the Reds. For Greene, it covers his two pre-arbitration seasons and pays him at the top of the arbitration system for all three seasons. The deal, which includes a $21 million club option, includes heavy escalators and allows him to hit free agency around age-29 — or the same age as Stephen Strasburg when he signed his lucrative seven-year, $245 million deal with the Washington Nationals.
Hunter Greene contract breakdown (per source):
- Signing bonus: $2 million
- 2023: $1 million
- 2024: $3 million
- 2025: $6 million
- 2026: $8 million
- 2027: $15 million
- 2028: $16 million
- 2029: $21 million club option ($2 million buyout)
The base salary in 2028 can increase by $2 million for Cy Young ($1 million for second or third; $750K for fourth or fifth; $750K for sixth through 10th). The deal also includes numerous incentives for Cy Young, MVP, All-Star and Gold Glove, among others.