Hunter Greene’s trade buzz freezes while Reds wait on a pivotal offseason development

After Nick Krall's comments this past week at the GM Meetings, Cincinnati Reds fans can breathe a sigh of relief. While Krall continues to leave the door cracked ever so slightly, it would seem that the notion of trading Hunter Greene is not on the Reds' radar — at least not right now.

These Reds rumors emerged shortly after the season concluded and have dogged Krall's steps throughout the first few weeks of the offseason. Cincinnati's top decision-maker was finally forced to answer to reporters earlier this week.

“Look, we're going to try to do what's best for our team. I don't want to rule out anything," Krall told MLB.com. "But that's a hard one to actually say, ‘Hey, we're going to trade the guy who has a chance to be the ace of our staff and a top of the rotation guy going into the postseason.' So I'd say that we're looking to figure out how to get better. But right now, that's not on the table.”

Reds Rumors: Hunter Greene’s trade buzz freezes while Cincy watches the market unfold

While Krall's comments should halt the trade talk for now, something could jumpstart these rumors later on this winter. If some of the best pitchers in the league — Tarik Skubal, Joe Ryan, Sandy Alcantara, or Freddy Peralta — are dealt this offseason, the Reds could be motivated to move Greene after all.

Of course, it would depend on the type of trade packages these teams receive in exchange for their star pitchers. Players like Skubal, Ryan, and Alcantara could require another organization to hand over a hefty sum of MLB-caliber players and prospects, and even prying Peralta away from the Milwaukee Brewers will be rather costly.

If it's a seller's market, and Krall believes he can help solve the Reds' offensive woes by trading Greene, there's a chance Cincinnati could still look to move their ace this offseason. Unlike the aforementioned hurlers, Greene is under contract for four more seasons and it's very affordable. One could argue that despite his injury history, Greene could fetch a bigger haul than Skubal, Ryan, or Alcantara.

There's no way the Reds should "set the market" for starting pitching this offseason by trading Greene while Skubal and Ryan have yet to be dealt. But if other frontline starters get traded, Cincinnati will have no choice but to at least listen.

While Greene may be the best starter on the Reds pitching staff, it's an area of the roster where the team has a lot of depth. Don't be shocked to see these Reds rumors resurface later this winter.