The Reds should attempt to re-sign Chase Anderson during the offseason

Despite his struggles on Sunday afternoon at Wrigley Field, the Cincinnati Reds should attempt to re-sign starting pitcher Chase Anderson this offseason.

Anderson was yanked after recording just one out on Sunday in Chicago. A bloop hit, hit-by-pitch, and consecutive 3-2 walks put the Cubs on the board, and after throwing 37 pitches in the first innings, Reds skipper David Bell removed Anderson from the game after watching the veteran surrender five earned runs.

If you subtract Anderson's first start and his last start, the right-hander went 2-1 with a 2.18 ERA in five starts and 21 punch outs in 20.2 innings of work. With Cincinnati's pitching staff incredibly thin outside their rookie trio of Nick Lodolo, Hunter Greene, and Graham Ashcraft, there's every reason in the world to re-sign Chase Anderson during the offseason.

The Reds should attempt to re-sign Chase Anderson during the offseason.

Most fans will assume the aforementioned group of Nick Lodolo, Hunter Greene, and Graham Ashcraft will make up 60% of next year's starting rotation. But the other two starting spots are up for grabs heading into next year's spring training.

Sure, Connor Overton, Luis Cessa and Justin Dunn will throw their names into the hat, and Cincinnati is likely to give Brandon Williamson and even Levi Stoudt an opportunity to earn a spot as well.

But adding Anderson to the stable would give the Reds a veteran presence in the starting rotation at a fraction of the amount of money that Cincinnati committed to the epic failure that was Mike Minor this season.

At the very least, Anderson could act as a long reliever out of the Cincinnati Reds bullpen. With so many relief pitchers returning from injury, the effectiveness of pitchers like Lucas Sims, Tejay Antone, and Tony Santillan has to be questioned.

In no way should Chase Anderson be the Reds Opening Day starter. But the 34-year-old could be a back-end starter in next year's rotation and provide depth as well. This spring, the fanbase saw how necessary additional depth in the starting rotation really is,

Minor and Luis Castillo began the 2022 season on the IL, and the Reds turned to Reiver Sanmartin in a pinch. That did not go very well at all. Outside of three pitchers who acted as openers for David Bell this season, the Cincinnati Reds manager has been forced to send 14 different starters to the bump in 2022.