Hunter Greene rumors have the Reds distracted from the real trade they should make

The MLB offseason doesn't officially begin until after the World Series is in the books, but that hasn't halted the Hunter Greene trade rumors that seemed to have already captivated the Cincinnati Reds fanbase.

To be clear, Cincinnati is not actively shopping Greene; at least not yet. These Reds rumors gained steam after two local beat writers mentioned the possibility of Greene being traded this offseason. When asked point blank about the likelihood of trading Greene this offseason, Nick Krall failed to dismiss it as pure speculation, and so these Reds rumors have continued to snowball.

There are fans on both sides of the isle, and those debates will surely continue to rage until the Reds either trade Greene or proclaim him off limits this offseason. But while all the attention has been centered around Greene, there's been little talk of trading another Reds pitcher. Though Greene would undoubtedly net the bigger haul, dealing Brady Singer might be the more prudent move.

Reds rumors: Brady Singer, not Hunter Greene, should be Cincy's top trade chip

The notion of trading Greene is not without merit. The Reds ace is one of the best starting pitchers in all of baseball, and trading him with four years remaining on his current contract — one with an average annual value of just $8.3 million — could bring back a bevy talented players in return.

But with the Reds in win-now mode, trading your best pitcher seems like a foolish endeavor to most casual observers. Yes, the Reds have an abundance of quality starters, but when he's healthy and on his game, Greene is in a class all by himself.

With that in mind, rather than trading Greene, perhaps the Reds should look to deal Singer instead. The right-hander shined during his first season in Cincinnati, starting 32 games and posting a respectable a 4.03 ERA. Singer struck out 163 batters, and crossed 150 innings pitched for the fourth consecutive season. The 29-year-old is an innings-eater, something Cincinnati has lacked in years past.

But Singer will enter the upcoming offseason with just one year of team control remaining. The righty made $8.75 million in 2025, and according to MLB Trade Rumors, is expected to take home nearly $12 million next season. Unless the Reds plan to extend Singer this offseason, the most sensible move would be to trade him.

If the Reds were able to secure an outfield bat or a top-flight reliever in exchange for Singer, it would help to solve one of Cincinnati's biggest roster flaws heading into the 2026 season. It would also save the Reds a hefty payday for a middle-of-the-rotation starter.

Though trading Singer would hurt, it still leaves Cincinnati with Greene, Nick Lodolo, and Andrew Abbott atop the rotation. A battle for the backend could include Rhett Lowder, Chase Burns, Julian Aguiar, and Brandon Williamson. You would think that any one of those young arms could replicate the type of numbers Singer produced in 2025, and a much lower cost.

Singer provides stability to the rotation, and has been much more durable throughout his career than any of the Reds' young hurlers. But given his contract status and Cincinnati's rotation depth, he may be the odd man out if the Reds actually decide to trade one of their starters this offseason.