Reds fans may be surprised what a Sal Stewart contract extension could look like

Sal Stewart has been on the Cincinnati Reds' radar for a few seasons now, and even made his big-league debut last year. He announced himself to the world with a 3-for-4 performance on Opening Day — one that included playing through a gruesome-looking injury that wasn't as bad as initially feared.

Stewart had a cup of coffee with the Reds in 2025 and is set to be a focal point of Cincinnati's lineup this season. But all accounts, the team's brass has big plans for the young slugger moving into the future, and it's time for the Reds to put their money where their mouth is and sign Stewart to a long-term deal.

The Reds have been quite shy about long-term contracts in recent years. Hunter Greene signed a six-year extension back in 2023 and Jose Trevino agreed to a two-year deal last spring, but a number of the organization's young stars remain unsigned beyond their arbitration window. That needs to change.

Stewart is the perfect player to usher in a new era of Reds' baseball. He brings contagious energy, both to the clubhouse and the ballpark, and backs up that electric attitude with a bat to match.

Stewart hit .309/.383/.524 with 20 home runs, 80 RBI, and a 152 wRC+ in 118 minor league games between Double-A and Triple-A last season. Those stats are simply a continuation of the numbers he's put up throughout his professional career. Everywhere he goes, he hits.

Orioles' Samuel Basallo offers the perfect contract comp for Reds rookie Sal Stewart

Those numbers from Stewart are eerily similar to the minor-league stats that Baltimore Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo put up last season. Known more for his bat than his skills behind the dish, Basallo hit .270/.377/.589 with 23 homers, 67 RBI, and a 151 wRC+ last season.

The Orioles added Basallo to the Major League roster near the end of last season and wisely signed him to a long-term extension. Basallo and the O's agreed to an eight-year, $67 million contract extension with a team-option for 2024. The deal contains escalators that will allow it to max out at $88.5 million.

That deal is almost a mirror image of the type of contract the Reds should offer Stewart. Much like Basallo, Stewart is a bat-over-glove prospect and he just turned 22 years old. Basallo was 21 at the time of his deal and will be able to enter free agency ahead of his age-30 season. If Cincinnati offered something similar to Stewart, those same benefits would apply.

Some fans will be reading this and think to themselves, "He hasn't earned that type of money yet." And you're right, he hasn't. But the Reds are not the type of franchise who can wait around until a player is good enough to earn it. They need to trust their scouts and trust their eyes, and if they see a talented player, they need to compensate him for what he can become.

To date, the Reds attempted to sign Elly De La Cruz long term, but failed. They tried to ink Matt McLain to a pre-arb extension, and it didn't work out. Cincinnati's management cannot allow Stewart to get away, which is why they need to blow him away with an offer he can't refuse now. If they wait until next year, they may already be too late.