Reds missed a golden opportunity to upgrade their starting rotation

After being designated for assignment earlier in the week, former Cleveland Guardians pitcher Cal Qunatrill has a new home.

The Colorado Rockies executed a trade that sent minor league catcher Kody Huff to Cleveland in exchange for Qunatril. Huff was a seventh-round draft choice of the Rockies in 2022 and is nowhere to be seen among their Top 30 prospects according to MLB Pipeline.

If that's all it took to land a starting pitcher like Qunatrill, the Cincinnati Reds missed a golden opportunity to upgrade their rotation.

Reds missed a golden opportunity to upgrade their starting rotation

The Cincinnati Reds have an obvious need this offseason, and it's starting pitching. After watching the Reds rely on pitchers like Michael Mariot, Randy Wynne, and Brett Kennedy to get them through last season, Cincinnati needs to add at least one starter this winter and maybe more.

No, Cal Quantrill isn't an ace, but he's a solid hurler who comes from an organization well-known for their ability to develop young arms. After two dominant seasons in 2021 and 2022, Qunatrill endured an injury-plagued campaign in 2023 and it showed with his stat line.

Quantril went 23-8 with a 3.16 ERA from 2021-2022, but was 4-7 with a 5.24 ERA a year ago. According to MLB Trade Rumors, Quantrill is expected to take home $6.6-million in 2024 and has two years of team-control remaining.

Thers is, of course, another way to look at this. Perhaps the Cincinanti Reds have their sights set on another trade target or have allocated money to spend on a free agent pitcher this offseason.

Cal Qunatrill's downturn in 2023 could also have been a reason that the Reds passed on the opportunity to bring the right-hander down I-71 to Cincinnati.

With the non-tender deadline quickly approaching, the trade between the Cleveland Guardians and Colorado Rockies will not be the only one on the docket today.