Hey Reds, Extend Sal Stewart Already

Between his hitting ability and outrageous baseball smarts, Sal Stewart has more than earned a contract extension, and the Reds would be wise to give him one before his market goes crazy.

All Sal Stewart has done since becoming a professional baseball player is hit.

He raked in rookie ball, and kept raking in Single-A, high-A, AA, and AAA.  Once he reached the majors last year, Stewart kept on raking, batting .255 with 5 HRs in his brief MLB action.

Oh, and Stewart was just 21 at the time.

Now, at the well-seasoned age of 22, Stewart already looks like one of the best hitters in the National League – and definitely one of the best players on the Cincinnati Reds – batting .281 with 9 HRs and an MLB-leading 29 RBI.

There’s no reason to doubt him anymore.  Stewart can hit – anyone, anything, and at any time – and the Reds should lock him up on a contract extension before the end of the season.

He’s having one of those seasons that just defies the imagination.  His 9 HRs are tied for 4th in the NL.  His 65 total bases are tied for 6th.  He’s tied for 8th in the NL in SLG% (.570) and OPS (.943).  He leads the entire NL in rOBA (.434).

For the NL Central-leading Reds, he has been a revelation.  Reds manager Terry Francona slotted the rookie in the #4 spot in the lineup on Opening Day, and Stewart has made that decision look absolutely genius.  He’s provided excellent protection for Elly De La Cruz, who is also having a special start to his season, and provided some much needed pop for a Reds lineup that lacked that certain something last year.

And it hasn’t just been his hit tool that’s impressed.  He’s defensively versatile, already making appearances at first base (his primary position), third base, and second base.  His diving grab at the hot corner against the Rockies was another example of his well-rounded skill set.  He might not be the fleetest of foot, but he’s second on the Reds in stolen bases with 7, behind only Elly De La Cruz, one of the fastest players in baseball.  Oh, and Sal has yet to be caught stealing.

His baseball IQ is off the charts.  He’s patient at the plate, doesn’t swing at bad pitches, and is hard to strike out.  While he doesn’t have elite bat speed, he consistently attacks the ball with the ideal launch angle.  He is incredibly efficient, and that plays well at the hitter’s paradise that is Great American Ballpark.

Despite being a right-handed hitter, Stewart has launched 6 of his 9 HRs on the season to right-center.  His ability to hit for power without relying on pulling the ball is a rare trait, and it’s well-suited for GABP.  With its short right field fence and wind patterns that potentially help balls carry to right field, Stewart can, and will continue, to reap the benefits of playing half his games in Cincinnati.

That’s why there’s no more time to waste: Sal needs an extension, and he needs one now.

The Pittsburgh Pirates just gave top prospect Konnor Griffin a 9-year, $140 million extension after playing just five games at the MLB-level.  Stewart might not be as heralded as the MLB’s #1 prospect, but without question Stewart has been a better player so far in his career.

Every day Sal continues to rake, the price keeps going up – and for the Reds, who ranked 27th on Forbes’ list of the most valuable MLB franchises, keeping that price in a reasonable range has to be a priority.

It might seem aggressive to be signing a player with less than a year of MLB service time to a long-term deal, but if the Pirates were comfortable giving Griffin $140 million after five games in which he had a .176 batting average and 0 HRs, the Reds don’t really have an excuse – not with Sal continuing to tear the cover off the ball on a nightly basis.

Besides, there’s a solid track record of teams signing youngsters to long-term deals and reaping the short- and long-term benefits.

Take Ronald Acuña Jr., for example.  After a sensational rookie season in which he won the NL Rookie of the Year while smacking 26 HRs and stealing 16 bases, the Atlanta Braves locked up Acuña on an 8-year, $100 million contract extension that will go down as one of the most team-friendly deals in MLB history.  Acuña has been nothing short of a superstar over the life of this contract, making five All-Star teams, and winning three Silver Sluggers and an MVP in 2023.

He’s not the only success story.  Seattle Mariners center fielder Julio Rodríguez signed a 12-year, $209 million contract following his own Rookie of the Year campaign, and he’s become a consistent 30/30 threat for just under $20 million annually – that’s less than a third of what Shohei Ohtani makes annually with the Los Angeles Dodgers!

In more recent history, the Arizona Diamondbacks and Milwaukee Brewers both have to feel happy about their decision-making process.  The Diamondbacks gave Corbin Carroll an 8-year, $111 million contract after getting a cup of coffee in the big leagues in 2023, and he responded with a Rookie of the Year campaign and helped the D-Backs reach the World Series for the first time since 2001.  He’s made two All-Star teams since inking that deal, and has led the National League in triples three times, and the MLB twice (and he leads the MLB in 3Bs again so far in 2026).

The Brewers gave Jackson Chourio a 8-year, $82 million contract in December of 2023 – before he had one at-bat in the majors.  He hasn’t yet broken out as an elite player, but after two consecutive 20/20 seasons to start his career, the Brewers are definitely happy with the return on their investment so far.

Of course, there have been some stinkers.  The Boston Red Sox may have jumped the gun when they handed Kristian Campbell an 8-year, $60 million deal in April of 2025, considering Campbell is still in AAA.  The White Sox also handed Eloy Jiménez a 6-year, $43 million deal in March of 2019 before he ever reached the MLB, and while Jiménez was a solid hitter for the White Sox over the life of the contract, he never quite stayed healthy enough to be absolutely worth it.  Scott Kingery signed a 6-year, $25 million extension with the Philadelphia Phillies before making his MLB debut in 2018, and he generated -0.2 WAR over his seven-year MLB career.

Sal, though, appears to be the type of hitter who should avoid major regression.  He isn’t a one-year wonder – his hit tool has remained consistent from day one, and he’s only just developing his power.  His defensive versatility in the infield plays to his favor too, and his outstanding baseball IQ gives him an edge over similarly skilled players at his age.

In an article in The Athletic, Jim Bowden, former general manager of the Reds from 1992 to 2003, projected Stewart’s market value to be about 8-years, $160 million or about $20 million per year.  That’s probably Sal’s floor right now, and the Reds need to act quickly before that number starts to skyrocket.  Fortunately, they’re already in position to make that happen.

Prior to the season, it was reported that the Reds offered Elly the largest contract in franchise history, which the switch-hitting superstar, to no one’s surprise, turned down.  The previous high-water mark for the Reds was Joey Votto’s 10-year, $225 million deal signed in 2012.  For reference, that’s less than what Javier Báez makes with the Detroit Tigers.

Elly is currently represented by super-agent Scott Boras, who is well-known for advising his players to test the open market instead of signing early extensions.  Recently, he represented Juan Soto, who hit unrestricted free agency at the age of 26 and signed a whopping 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets for about $51 million annually.  That’s probably closer to what Elly, when he reached unrestricted free agency in 2030 at the age of 28, is looking for.

So, that’s not great news for the Reds’ chances of retaining their star shortstop, but that does mean there’s money to play with to extend Sal.  And while Elly may have been a long-shot to extend thanks to his agent, Sal’s representation might be a bit more favorable to work with – after all, Stewart is represented by MVP Sports Group, the same agency that represented Votto when he signed his long-term deal.

With the Reds enjoying the best start to a season in decades, it’s the perfect time to keep the good vibes going.  The money is there to extend Sal, and by locking up their precocious youngster, it might give them the best opportunity to re-sign Elly too.  The energy at Great American Ballpark has been palpable, and what could be more appealing to Elly than knowing he’s going to have Sal hitting behind him for the foreseeable future.

It’s going to cost a pretty penny (or two, or three), but getting Sal’s contract done frees up time and money to plan for Elly’s future too.  When it comes to the Reds two best young players, all options should be on the table – and that starts with extending Sal.  The best way for the Reds to find more money to pay Elly is by continuing to win, and no player has made a bigger difference for the Reds in terms of wins and losses than Sal Stewart.