Reds' massive deal with Chase Burns initiates spirited debate among NL Central rivals

The Cincinnati Reds inked their first-round pick to a record-breaking deal on Thursday night. Chase Burns signed on the dotted line and will receive a record-$9.25 million signing bonus from Cincinnati.

That becomes (for now) the largest signing bonus in draft history pushing Burns past, you guessed it, Paul Skenes. The Pittsburgh Pirates first-round pick from a year ago and this year's All-Star starter signed for $9.2 million last summer.

This will no doubt fuel debate and the rivalry for the next few years. Burns and Skenes were already going to be tied relatively closely due to the fact that both pitchers can hit triple digits on the radar gun and were taking very high in their respective draft classes. The signing bonuses just add another layer to the impending debate.

Reds' massive deal with Chase Burns initiates vehement debate among NL Central rivals

Former Reds closer Danny Graves has already compared Burns to Skenes, and with the two pitchers in the same division, there are sure to matchups in the future that feature both flamethrowers directly opposing one another. While some fans will scoff at the idea, it's great for the game of baseball.

Though Skenes may have been somewhat undeserving of a spot in the All-Star Game after starting just 11 games in his rookie season, the 22-year-old had the eyeballs of the baseball world centered on him earlier this week. The Pirates sit one-and-a-half games ahead of the Reds heading into the second-half of the season, and it's a good bet that Cincy will see Skenes at some point later this summer.

Unlike Rhett Lowder last season, Burns is likely to pitch for the Reds organization this year. How many innings and at what level he'll be deployed have yet to be determined. While some MLB experts expect to see Burns in the big leagues rather quickly, Reds fans should temper their expectations. The right-hander is unlikely to make his major league debut until at least next season.

Fair or not, once Burns makes it to The Show, he'll be tied (even if it's somewhat loosely) to Skenes. The hope, of course, is that Burns follows in Skenes' footsteps and has the same type of impact the Pirates starter has had during his rookie campaign.

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