Reds ace Hunter Greene torches offseason trade rumors that questioned his integrity

Earlier this week, Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Hunter Greene sat down for an interview with Jeremy Rauch of FOX19 and had some coarse words for one of the team's beat writers. "I don't like false narratives, and I don't like bull s---," Greene said.

Those comments are presumably directed at Mark Sheldon of MLB.com who wrote a rather unflattering opinion about Greene last July stating, "Greene, who entered 2025 as the team's ace, has slow-rolled his way back from a Grade 1 right groin strain...For a guy with a long-term contract who says he wants to be a leader, Greene needs to start showing it and get back on the field."

Reds ace Hunter Greene blasts offseason trade rumors

Though Sheldon went on to describe the Reds' ace as one of the best starters in baseball when he's healthy, it appears as though the damage was done as far as Greene was concerned. The article led to a lot of offseason trade speculation centered around Greene, though the Reds never seriously entertained the idea.

To be fair, Sheldon was not alone in his critique. Jason Williams of the Cincinnati Enquirer (subscription required) gave his opinion on the matter. "There's no ill will toward Greene in the organization, but I get the sense his penchant for taking his good ol' time coming back from injuries that aren't deemed to be serious could land him on the trade block," Williams wrote back in August.

What followed, of course, was a winter filled with trade rumors. Given the "insider" nature of the Reds beat writers and columnists — and the lack of rebuttal from Nick Krall and the front office — Greene's name was tossed about as a potential trade candidate throughout the offseason. But it wasn't the trade rumors that bothered Greene, it was the defamation of character.

Greene's inability to stay on the field has been a topic of conversation since he arrived in the big leagues. The right-hander appeared in 24 games during his rookie season (2022), but several stints on the injured list over the past three seasons have yielded an average of just 22.3 starts since 2023.

Last year, Greene got off to a rip-roaring start, but he was diagnosed with a hamstring strain in early-May that sidelined him for a couple weeks. He returned to the bump after missing two starts, and owned a 2.72 ERA and 3.45 FIP through his first 11 appearances.

But another hamstring injury resurfaced in early-June and kept him out of action through mid-August. Upon his return, Greene picked up where left off and struck out 59 batters over 48 innings while posting a 2.81 ERA and 3.05 FIP.

Greene dealt with a shoulder strain in 2022, a hip ailment in 2023, right elbow soreness in 2024, and the hamstring injury last season. So while Sheldon (and other Reds reporters) aren't wrong in their assessment of Greene's durability, suggesting he "slow-rolled his way back" or took "his good ol' time coming back" speak more to his integrity, and that's what Cincinnati's ace to exception to.

Greene is expected to take the ball for Reds manager Terry Francona on Opening Day next month. If he's able to put his injury history in the past, Greene could be on track for a Cy Young-caliber season in 2026.