Carson Spiers' sterling 2025 debut could force Reds' coaches to think outside the box

Lost in the offensive ineptitude of the Cincinnati Reds' shutout loss to the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night was the near flawless performance from Carson Spiers. The undrafted Reds' right-hander allowed just one run — a first-inning solo home run off the bat of Rangers' slugger Wyatt Langford — and that was it.

Spiers twirled six innings of one-run ball and ended up the hard-luck loser as the Reds fell 1-0 at the hands of Rangers' starter Nathan Eovaldi. Outside of that one mistake to Langford, Spiers kept the Texas hitters off balance all night. Spiers struck out five and got six ground ball outs to keep Cincinnati in the game.

Spiers deserves another start, and he'll likely get it on Sunday in Milwaukee for the upcoming series against the Brewers. But after that, all bets are off. Andrew Abbott began a rehab assignment on Tuesday and looked great. The Reds' lefty went 5 ⅔ innings and allowed just two runs — both solo homers — while striking out four batters. Tuesday's outing was the first of what's assumed to be a two-start rehab assignment with the Louisville Bats before Abbott returns to the Reds' active roster.

Carson Spiers' sterling 2025 debut could force Reds to go with a six-man starting rotation

But when Abbott returns, what happens to Spiers? That's a great question, and one that the Reds' coaching staff will have to think about long and hard. Spiers' outing warrants a longer look, but would Cincinnati really consider a six-man rotation?

The Reds have entertained that idea in previous years, and there are other organizations that (loosely) employ six starters. Once two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani is able to pitch, the Los Angeles Dodgers plan to use a six-man rotation this season. The Boston Red Sox kicked around the idea during spring training, but Lucas Giolito's injury quelled that conversation pretty quickly.

There's certainly merit to the idea. More rest for your starters should, in theory, help them to stay healthier. Given Cincinnati's troublesome trend with injuries, the extra day of rest would seem to bode well for the Reds' starting staff. Abbott, Nick Lodolo, and Hunter Greene all saw extended time on the IL in 2024.

But moving to a six-man starting rotation shrinks the bullpen. Instead of eight relievers, the Reds would need to feel comfortable with just seven. There's also the matter of who would get the axe. Only Graham Ashcraft and Sam Moll have minor-league options remaining, meaning that removing one of the other six relievers from the active roster would require that they pass through waivers.

More times than not, these situations have a way of working themselves out. Considering that Rhett Lowder still hasn't pitched in a game, keeping one of Abbott or Spiers fresh down on the farm is probably the best solution for now. But another strong outing from Spiers on Sunday will really complicate Cincinnati's decision when it comes to who'll be the team's No. 5 starter.

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