Reds fans grumbling about Brady Singer's salary are overlooking a glaring comparison

Admittedly, paying a backend starter nearly $13 million is a lot, especially for a team as budget-conscious as the Cincinnati Reds. But most starters who occupy that type of role aren't Brady Singer. He and the Reds agreed to a one-year deal to avoid arbitration and will now earn the highest salary of any player on the roster this year.

Spending $13 million for a No. 4 starter isn't the best use of resources for the cash-strapped Reds, which is why Singer continues to pop up in trade rumors. Still, Cincinnati is a better team with him on the roster, and fans need only turn their attention to last year to find a far worse allocation of money.

Brady Singer's contract with Reds is a bargain compared to Nick Martinez's 2025 deal

With all due respect to Nick Martinez — who made 82 appearances, including 42 starts, over the last two seasons in Cincinnati — he wasn't worth anything close to the $21.05 million he made in 2025 after accepting the Reds' qualifying offer.

Singer flourished during his first season in Cincinnati, compiling a 4.03 ERA and 3.98 FIP in 169⅔ innings. His 2.9 fWAR in 2025 was tied with Hunter Greene for second-most among all Reds starting pitchers, behind only Andrew Abbott.

Singer's salary isn't necessarily a bargain, but it's also safe to say the right-hander would make a lot more on the open market if he were a free agent right now. As the oldest member of the starting rotation, he brings a solid blend of experience and production to Terry Francona's pitching staff.

The trade murmurs will only grow louder, thanksin part to the excellent pitching depth the Reds have accumulated. Trading Singer for a productive hitter while handing back-end rotation jobs to the likes of Chase Burns, Rhett Lowder, Chase Petty, and Jose Franco is probably good business, but it leaves them vulnerable should injuries strike.

At the moment, the Reds are still projected to start the 2026 season below last year's end-of-season budget. Singer's deal is far from an albatross around the Reds' neck, the front office's goal should be to roll into Opening Day with Singer still in place.