3 reasons the Reds should avoid trading for NY Mets starter Justin Verlander

3. The Reds have young pitchers who are ready to make their big league debut.

The Reds have been rocked by injuries to their starting rotation this season. Both Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo have been sidelined for quite some time, but the Reds' 1-2 combination is expected to return within the next month.

Already this season, the Reds have had unexpected contributions from Brandon Williamson and Andrew Abbott. You could even throw Ben Lively's name into the mix, though his long-term future is more than likely in the bullpen.

Let's not leave out Graham Ashcraft. While struggles plagued the second-year starter earlier this season, the right-hander seems to have righted the ship and looks like a key piece of the starting rotation moving forward.

But that's just the tip of iceberg. Cincinnati also has Connor Phillips, Christian Roa, and even 2023 first-round pick Rhett Lowder knocking on the door. There's also Lyon Richardson, Levi Stoudt, Joe Boyle, and perhaps even Julian Aguiar.

The Cincinnati Reds have so many talented, young pitchers who are on the cusp of making their major league debut that it would be a shame to see an aging pitcher like Justin Verlander take up a spot in the rotation.

By no means is this a call for the Reds to dismiss any and all potential additions at this year's trade deadline. But is Verlander really going to vault the Reds from playoff hopeful to World Series contender? That seems like a stretch with both the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers ahead of them.