Latest catastrophic pitching injury confirms Reds dodged offseason disaster

The Cincinnati Reds went into the 2023-24 offseason looking to make a big splash. Instead, it was more along the lines of flipping a penny into the fountain at the mall. The Reds spent money on free agents, but there really wasn't much for Reds Country to get excited about.

The Reds inked Frankie Montas to a one-year, $16 million deal despite the fact he appeared in just one game during the 2023 season. Cincinnati's other big offseason signing was the three-year, $45 million pact with Jeimer Candelario. The move was questionable at best, and after watching Candelario post a 91 OPS+ and end his first year in Cincinnati on the IL, the fanbase is understandably frustrated.

But things could have been a whole lot worse. It was a few short months ago that the Reds were said to be involved in trade talks for two of the top pitchers in Major League Baseball. Seeing as how both Shane Bieber and now Tyler Glasnow have endured injury-riddled seasons, it would seem that Reds President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall was wise to avoid those two potentially disastrous trades.

Guardians pitcher Shane Bieber was on the Reds radar during the offseason

Bieber's 2024 fate was sealed last fall. Seriously. A large swath of major league executives and scouts saw Bieber spend half of last season on the IL with an elbow injury. Typically, a former Cy Young Award-winner on a modest $13 million salary who's said to be on the trade block would have an inordiante amount of suitors. But in the end, Bieber stayed put in Cleveland.

Unfortunately for Bieber, two games was all he was able to muster this season. Bieber totaled 20 strikeouts in 12 innings to start his 2024 campaign and looked like a pitcher who was bound to repeat as the AL Cy Young Award-winner. But Bieber suffered an elbow injury and underwent Tommy John surgery effectively ending his swan song with the Cleveland Guardians.

Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow is on the IL, confirming Reds dodged offseason disaster

Though Shoehi Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto were the two biggest names to join the Los Angeles Dodgers this past offseason, LA's trade with the Tampa Bay Rays for Glasnow cannot go unnoticed. The Rays acquired pitching prospect Ryan Pepiot and outfielder Jonny DeLuca for Glasnow, Manuel Margot, and cash.

Though Glasnow was terrfic to start the season, he's now been placed on the injured list for the second time this season. Glasnow missed several starts earlier this summer due to a back injury, and now the All-Star is on the shelf with a right elbow strain.

As it turned out, the best pitcher Cincinnati acquired this past offseason was Nick Martinez. While the Reds fanbase was hopeful to snag a big-name starter this past offseason, it may have been a blessing in disguise.

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