The Cincinnati Reds have a budding superstar on their hands in rookie Sal Stewart, but a troubling contract update has fans feeling uneasy about his long-term future with the team.

Stewart has been turning heads this season with a .252 batting average, nine home runs, and an impressive .842 OPS, good for a 129 OPS+. He's exactly the type of young talent teams dream of building around—and exactly the type of player the Reds should be locking up for years to come.

However, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Reds and Stewart have not had any discussions about a long-term extension. Even more concerning, the team has yet to make a formal offer, citing lingering uncertainty over future revenues.

This news stings even more given what's happening around the division. The Pittsburgh Pirates recently locked up Konnor Griffin for nine years, while the Chicago Cubs are closing in on a deal with Pete Crow-Armstrong. The Detroit Tigers also made headlines by signing Kevin McGonigle to a massive $150 million contract. It seemed only natural that the Reds would follow suit with their own rising star.

The Reds do still have Stewart under club control for the next six years, which provides some short-term security. But without an extension in the works, the clock is ticking. Unless the franchise's financial outlook improves, it's looking increasingly likely that Cincinnati could lose Stewart down the road.

For a team that needs to hold onto its young talent to compete, this is far from the update fans were hoping for. Stewart has the tools to be a cornerstone player—the question now is whether the Reds will step up to keep him in the Queen City.