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Dream Reds starting rotation for the 2024 season

Jiminy Cricket said that when you wish upon a star, anything your heart desires will come to you. What kind of starting rotation could your heart dream up for the Reds in 2024?
ByDrew Koch|
Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Hunter Greene (21) throws a pitch
Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Hunter Greene (21) throws a pitch | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY
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4. Reds LHP Nick Lodolo returns after injury-plagued 2023 season

Nick Lodolo had a forgettable 2023 season. Even when he was on the mound, the former first-round pick looked like a shell of himself. After a successful rookie season, most Reds fans expected Lodolo to be leading the charge in 2023. In fact, several Reds fans felt as though Lodolo, not Hunter Greene, should have received a contract extension.

But Lodolo scuffled with a lower leg injury throughout his entire sophomore season. Lodolo tried to get back toward the end of the year, but his rehab assignment was cut short and the TCU product was shelved for the remainder of the 2023 season.

The scuttlebutt surrouding Nick Lodolo is that he'll be healthy for Opening Day in 2024. If he's truly 100-percent, then the southpaw will be part of the Reds rotation. If not, the Reds have plenty of depth with the likes of Andrew Abbott, Brandon Williamson, and Connor Phillips.

3. Mariners RHP Logan Gilbert is traded to the Reds

The price would be quite steep, and likely include Jonathan India and a Top 100 prospect, but Logan Gilbert could be a difference maker for the Cincinnati Reds rotation in 2024. While the Mariners aren't exactly "shopping" Gilbert, Seattle could weather the storm of losing the right-hander for the right price.

There's already familiarity between Jerry Dipoto and Nick Krall, and both exectutives no doubt have their marching orders this offseason. While Dipoto would love to upgrade the M's lineup, Krall needs to get an extra arm or two to help bolster the Reds pitching staff.

One of the biggest differences between Logan Gilbert and players lke Tyler Glasnow and Dylan Cease is the arbitration window. Gilbert is still under team-control for four more seasons. Glasnow is a free agent after 2024 and Cease's clock runs out after the 2025 season.

Adding Gilbert to the rotation would be a dream come true for Reds Country, and it's certainly on the table if Cincinnati is willing to meet the high asking price.

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