The Reds should stop shopping Tyler Mahle and sign him to an extension instead

Tyler Mahle's performance on Tuesday night is sure to have caught the attention of rival GMs looking to add to their starting rotation before the trade deadline in August.

While Mahle has long been rumored to be available in trade talks, perhaps the Cincinnati Reds would be better served to offer the right-hander a contract extension.

Nick Krall has talked often about the organization's desire to draft and develop good, young players to eventually form the core of a championship-caliber team. Mahle fits that mold.

The Reds should offer Tyler Mahle a contract extension rather than trade him.

The idea of trading Tyler Mahle is certainly a plausible one. The Cincinnati Reds have two starting pitchers who will be highly-sought after this summer. Mahle and Luis Castillo, along with Oakland's Frankie Montas will be the three hottest names among starting pitchers.

But while Castillo will be 30 years old entering next season, Mahle is still only 27. Mahle's numbers from this year are right in-line with about where the California native was in 2021. He's even reduced his HR/9 having only seen seven balls leave the yard in 2022.

But what's a fair number for Mahle when it comes to a potential contract extension? I don't think we'll see Mahle receive anywhere close to what pitchers like Marcus Stroman (three-year/$71M) or Eduardo Rodriguez (five-year/$77M) received in free agency last winter.

But maybe something along the lines of what Steven Matz (four-year/$44M) signed for during the offseason would be fair. The five-year/$50.5M extension that Antonio Senzatela inked with the Colorado Rockies would also be a good blueprint.

Tyler Mahle offers value to the Cincinnati Reds organization. The question is whether or not his long-term future is with the Reds or if he holds more value as a trade chip at the August 2nd deadline.

Personally, I think Mahle is a solid, middle-of-the-rotation starter that has shown durability throughout his time in Cincinnati. He's never going to be the anchor of a starting staff, but he can be a reliable arm that can give five-plus innings every time he steps on the mound. That's worth something in today's game. What's it worth to the Reds?