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    Reds are promoting top prospect Chase Burns to Double-A

    Doug Gray 19

    The Cincinnati Reds are promoting 2024 1st round pick and #2 overall pick Chase Burns to Double-A after making just three starts for the High-A Dayton Dragons. Burns promotion to join the Chattanooga Lookouts was first reported by Charlie Goldsmith of the Dayton Daily News.

    For the second year in a row the Reds surprised many by assigning their top draft pick from the year before to High-A with Dayton. Rhett Lowder was considered the most polished pitching prospect in his draft back in 2023 and Cincinnati still had him begin the 2024 season with the Dragons. He stayed with them for five starts before being promoted. He was in the big leagues before the season was over.

    Chase Burns, who was taken 2nd overall and signed a record $9,250,000 bonus, only remained with Dayton for three starts before he got his promotion. The 22-year-old right-handed starter only made one appearance at home for the Dragons. His last outing was cut short due to rain, so he only wound up throwing 11.2 innings in his three starts and posted an ERA of 3.09. Burns gave up five hits – two of which happened to be home runs – and he walked five batters to go along with 20 strikeouts of the 45 total hitters that he faced.

    Cincinnati has a good looking rotation as it stands right now. But the Reds are going to want to find room for a guy like Chase Burns as soon as he’s ready. He’s the type of prospect that you allow to go at his own pace and when he shows he’s ready for the next level you move him on up.

    Doug Gray
    Doug Gray is the owner and operator of this website and has been running it since 2006 in one variation or another.

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    19 Responses

    2. Why even have him start at Dayton just to be there 2.5 weeks? Did they just want to get him one start at home for the fans? I can’t imagine he learned all that much different in such a short amount of time.

      1. It’s a little odd — holding him back to start the year then hitting the gas.

        He hasn’t thrown five innings yet. I had assumed that would have been at least one benchmark, even if it’s too easy.

        Maybe they want to preserve more of his 2025 innings for GABP? Maybe they just needed to see that he really is too advanced for Dayton? Maybe they are figuring it out as they go?

        Answers, answers, I want answers!!!!

      2. It’s not too far off what they did with Lowder, which worked fine for Lowder.

        The theory may be to allow them to get their feet under them in some early starts at A+, then move them to AA hitters.

    3. It reminds me of the episode in Band of Brothers when a West Point grad gets assigned to Easy Company for two days, sees one mission, then gets promoted to Division HQ.

    4. At least from the highlight videos I’ve seen, promoting Burns is almost a necessity. His putaway pitches are largely non-competitive pitches way out of the zone yet these low level hitters flail at them. Certainly it’s possible his deception is that good, but it’s likely he needs the challenge of facing hitters with more plate discipline.

    5. He’ll be on the Reds before the Allstar break. I just don’t get the pretense of starting him in A+.

      1. I doubt he moves that fast. Let’s see how he does against hitters that won’t chase his stuff out of the zone.

        I could see him being ready by September, maybe. It’s also possible he spends the entire season in the minors with an eye on joining the Reds sometime next year.

        We’ll see what happens.

    6. Lowder was cruising at high-A last year but when he got promoted to double-A he struggled through his first four outings. After that, he was back on track again and climbed quickly through the system…it could be expected something like that from Chase Burns who might be pitching at triple-A by september if not sooner….

    7. speaking of Lowder, the longer it goes with his inactivity, the more I worry that there will be surgery in his near future

      1. I haven’t read that Lowder is inactive. Although it’s a bit state, as of late March, Lowder was throwing bullpen sessions in Arizona. He can likely throw some simulated games there, too. I suspect, he’ll start a rehab assignment onces he’s had a chance to build his pitch count.

        I don’t know how much of a consideration this is with the Red’s Front Office, but keep in mind, Lowder could potentially generate the Reds a Prospect Promotion Incentive pick if he remains on the active roster (including 15-day IL) all season. As a result, they may consider it in their best interest to not rush his return as they may prefer to avoid having to option him this season.

      2. Charlie Goldsmith was on one podcast or another and said he pitched an inning plus in a simulated game middle of last week without issue. Hearing nothing gets the paranoia going good though, that’s for sure.

        1. Seems a fair swap, Burns to AA and Cardona up to AAA to cover for Spiers (and i like Cardona — not a dig).

    9. Sort of a non-issue with Burns – I’d be more interested if and when he faces comparable high-level prospects in AA, and/or AAAA/mlb journeymen with Louisville. If he’s very good/dominant in AA into June, and the same for 4-5 starts in Louisville, he’s ready.

      What may be most interesting is the internal competition – will Petty find and hone his form in Louisville, and will Phillips regain any sort of command/control? Louisville after the break could get very intriguing. Miley should be on the Reds by then, and likely Lowder as well.

      1. I looked forward all offseason to a AAA rotation of Lowder, Petty, Phillips, Burns and Spiers, even if just for a month.

    10. Things to consider with the promotion are allowable pitches thrown per outing and frequency of starts. I believe in the Reds system, pitchers at A and A+ threw roughly 60 pitches max per outing. I’m sure where there were times it was a little more than that, but in general 60. I’m expecting him to be able to go further into the game and his pitch count to increase to 75-80 initially and building up from there. So far at Daytona, he pitched every Friday I believe. Will he still go only once a week or be put into a 5 man rotation to prepare him for AAA and eventually the Reds? Anyway, it’s a step closer for him to get to where he wants to be. Many of the starters at Chattanooga have started the season well and with his scheduled start on Saturday, it should push Sikkema, who started last Saturday to the bullpen. Chattanooga will now have 4 of the top 5 prospects (although Collier injured).

    11. 1. I think he was too good for High A.
      2. He was 0-2 and Chatt has a far better team of prospects.
      3. I think he’s in Cincy by seasons end if they have a chance at the playoffs. Probably not as a starter, but a high leverage reliever in the 6th or 7th inning.
      I think we’d all be happy if he got his feet wet as Lowder did, but is healthy next spring to challenge for a SP spot.
      Personally I hope they manipulate his service time to get a 7th year or sign him to a long term contract to avoid that.

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