Starting pitcher Hunter Greene agreed to a six-year contract extension with the Cincinnati Reds, the team confirmed on Tuesday. The deal, worth $53 million, provides the 23-year-old player with the prospect of a long-term future with the team after a summer of uncertainty.
Included in the deal is a seventh-year option worth $21 million as well as a buyout clause of $2 million. This agreement also saw the buyout of two years of Greene’s free agency.
“The commitment we made to Hunter reflects his commitment to this organization and to our community,” Reds CEO Bob Castellini stated following the announcement of the right-hander’s contract extension. “He is part of the foundation of young players who will continue to help us build a successful major league team.”
Greene was drafted as the number two pick in 2017, striking out 164 over 125⅔ innings and posting a 4.44 ERA during his rookie season. He underwent Tommy John surgery a little more than a year later, spending the 2020 season with the Reds’ alternate side. During his four starts this season, Green has struck out batters at an even higher rate than he did in his rookie season.
