Former Reds GM drops chilling hint about Hunter Greene trade rumors

Say what you will about former Cincinnati Reds General Manager Jim Bowden, but he usually has his finger on the pulse of Major League Baseball; especially when it comes to the inner-workings of an organization's front office. Reds fans like to poke fun at Bowden — and rightfully so — but he was a Major League GM for more than 15 years. That's got to count for something.

Recently, Bowden weighed in on the Hunter Greene trade rumors, and what he had to say will undoubtedly have Reds fans concerned. In his latest column for The Athletic (subscription required), Bowden looked at the top-10 biggest names most front office executives believe could or will be dealt this winter.

Unsurprisingly, Greene was among those listed, and came in at No. 3 behind Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers and Freddy Peralta of the Milwaukee Brewers. Outside of Greene's durability, Bowden himself fails to the see the logic in the Reds trading their ace. But there's one piece of information that Bowden cites, and it could signal that Cincinnati is truly looking to shop Greene this offseason.

Reds Rumors: Cincy's front office has failed to deny the Hunter Greene trade rumors

"I think it would be a huge mistake for them (the Reds) to deal Greene," Bowden wrote. "But we can’t ignore the rumors because they’re so loud and no one is denying them."

The last part of that statement is the biggest red flag to date, and it gives rise to the idea that Nick Krall and Reds front office really will look to trade Greene this offseason.

Though outright stating that Greene is off limits could be somewhat unwise — you never know what another organization would be willing to give up in return — Krall could put these Reds rumors to bed with one simple statement. But he hasn't, and that speaks volumes about Cincinnati's intentions moving forward.

Greene is under contract through 2029 at what amounts to a bargain price for an ace-level pitcher. While Reds fans have cited that as one of the biggest reasons to keep Greene around heading into 2026, it's also one of the major selling points for those who are interested in trading for him.

These Reds rumors aren't going away anytime soon. Buckle up, Reds fans, it's going to be a long (and interesting) offseason.