Mets hunt for pitching help suddenly puts Reds in position to fix their lineup

New York Mets owner Steve Cohen has shown time and time again that he has no problem spending money. But according to Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic (subscription required), the Mets hold some interest in the top remaining free-agent starters, but their focus is on first exploring trades. That could work in the Cincinnati Reds' favor.

The Mets are looking for a starting pitcher, and the Reds are searching for some power. Cincinnati tried their best to sign free agent slugger Kyle Schwarber earlier this offseason, but ultimately came up short. Most experts believe the best way for the Reds to acquire a big-bat is to trade from their plethora of starting pitchers.

Brady Singer's name has been gaining some traction recently, and if New York is willing to offer up a hitter like Mark Vientos — something The Athletic suggests is a real possibility — perhaps the two organizations could work out a deal that would be mutually beneficial.

Could the Reds and Mets match up in a trade this offseason?

Vientos is under team control through the 2029 season. As such, the Mets might need a little more than just Singer (who'll be a free agent after the 2026 season) in order to come to an agreement. Adding a mid-tier prospect like Ricky Cabrera, Carlos Jorge, or Mason Neville might be enough to seal the deal.

Vientos is far from the perfect solution, but given the Reds' lack of power last season, he stands out as a clear upgrade. Vientos is one year removed from a 27-homer campaign with the Mets in 2024, and slugged 17 round-trippers this past season.

Some of the advanced metrics highlight Vientos' power. For the past two seasons, he's ranked among the top 30% in hard hit rate, average exit velocity, and barrel rate. Swing and miss has been a problem for the 26-year-old, however, as evidenced by his career 28% strikeout rate.

Vientos has shown plenty of power against left-handed pitching throughout his career — something the Reds struggled with as a team in 2025. He owns a .258/.299/.461 slash line with a 110 wRC+ and 107 OPS+ against southpaws. Vientos could be a platoon partner alongside Gavin Lux, who hit .282/.361/.400 against right-handed pitching last season.

Parting with Singer — or any other starting pitcher for that matter — is not high on the Reds' list of priorities this offseason. But if Cincinnati's ownership is unwilling to spend in order to improve the roster, the front office is going to have to find another way.