Latest Reds free agency rumor after Garrett Crochet miss feels misleading

The Cincinnati Reds are apparently not content with their current starting rotation. Or, perhaps one of the pitchers currently projected to be part Cincinnati's Opening Day rotation is set to become part of something bigger this offseason.

That's the only explanation for the latest report from Joel Sherman linking the Reds to free agent pitcher Nick Pivetta. The right-hander went 6-12 with a 4.14 ERA last season while pitching for the Boston Red Sox. Pivetta racked up 172 strikeouts in 145 ⅔ innings last season.

Latest Reds free agency rumor surrouding Nick Pivetta feels misleading

But this rumor feels strangely inaccurate. Pivetta was slapped with a qualifying offer earlier this offseason, meaning that draft compensation is attached to his signing. Anyone who's followed the Reds for any time at all knows that Cincinnati values draft picks like Ebenezer Scrooge values a nickel that Bob Cratchit miscounted.

Pivetta is a fine pitcher who's logged more than 140 innings per season the past four years, so he's at least durable. And while the strikeout numbers are there, so are the walks. Quite frankly, Pivetta sounds like a middle-of-the-rotation arm who's looking for frontline starter money. Having turned down the Red Sox's QO, one has to assume that he's seeking to be paid at least $21 million per season. But that's a steep price for the normally tight-fisted Reds' ownership group.

The Reds rotation, as currently constructed, has (Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Andrew Abbott, Nick Martinez, Rhett Lowder, and Brady Singer ready to toe the rubber on Opening Day. Throw in Graham Ashcraft, Connor Phillips, and Carson Spiers, and it's easy to see that rotation depth is not the problem.

Whatever type of contract Nick Krall and Co. are considering handing over to Pivetta should be allocated to an outfielder like Jurickson Profar or Joc Pederson, or maybe beef up the bullpen by adding Tanner Scott or Carlos Estevez. Adding Garrett Crochet made sound financial sense, but spending $20-million per year on an average starter and giving up a draft pick when you've got a competent rotation already.

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