Reds cannot trade Hunter Greene without making this commitment in the aftermath

The trade rumors surrounding Hunter Greene have continued to swirl, with the odds of the Cincinnati Reds ace being moved coming in at 50-50 per MLB insiders like Mark Feinsand. If the Reds are able to land a Garrett Crochet-like haul for Greene, it could be a game-changer for their future.

Trading Greene would only be the start of the trade deadline wheeling and dealing, with massive changes potentially on the docket. Once the dust settles on the trading frenzy, though, the next action the Reds need to take should become crystal clear: extending Andrew Abbott.

If the Reds trade Hunter Greene, extending Andrew Abbott must be the club's next top priority

Trading Greene would free up a lot of money for the Reds in the coming years. The flame-throwing right-hander makes $8.3 million this year, but that number jumps to $15.3 million next season and $16.3 million in 2028. His contract also includes a $21 million option for 2029.

With all that money coming off the books, the Reds need to be smart and reallocate it to keep Abbott in the fold long-term. The lefty has said that he'd be open to signing an extension with Cincinnati, and getting Greene and his salary out of the way would open the door to make this a reality.

Abbott got off to a slow start this season with a 5.97 ERA from Opening Day through the end of April. However, from May 1 onward, he's posted a 3.09 ERA over 16 starts and 87⅓ innings. He might not be a true ace, but he's a very good Robin, and the Reds have Chase Burns to be Batman.

The 27-year-old southpaw hits arbitration for the first time this winter, and keeping him cost-controlled through his arb years while also buying out a free-agent year or two would give Cincinnati the kind of certainty they need to plan their budget as well as the potential for some cost savings as quality starting pitching only gets more and more expensive.

If the Reds were able to lock him up for five years in the neighborhood of $60 million, it would be a real steal. Most of that money wouldn't come due until 2029 and beyond, giving the club more breathing room to add short-term veteran pieces in the next couple of years than it would have had with Greene still on the roster.

That will help them build back stronger to make another run at contending in 2027, while setting the team up with two horses at the top of the rotation in Burns and Abbott for years to come. Right now, the trade deadline is about rebalancing the Reds' assets to better support their foundational pieces like Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart, and extending Abbott is the logical next step in service of that goal.

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