Reds’ front office already knows Zack Littell isn’t worth re-signing

When the Cincinnati Reds swung a deal for veteran right-hander Zack Littell at the MLB trade deadline, it made a lot of sense. Hunter Greene was still working his way back from injury, a bunch of the rotation depth had already been lost for the season, and Chase Burns was on an innings limit.

Getting 10 starts and 53 innings to the tune of a decent 4.39 ERA from Littell was a nice boost, and the cost wasn't all that great with Adam Serwinowski and Brian Van Belle being all that was needed to shore up the rotation for the stretch run.

There's a lot to like about Littell; he limits walks, throws strikes, and eats innings, but despite all that good, he shouldn't be back in 2026, and the Reds know it.

After a decent second half, the Reds know they need to part ways with Zack Littell

Jim Bowden ranked Littell 32nd on his list of the top 50 free agents, though he only projects the 30-year-old righty to land a one-year, $10 million deal. Spotrac has a more lucrative offer in mind for Littell, projecting a three-year, $38.6 million pact for his services.

In either case, Littell seems to be one of the more affordable rotation arms on the market this winter. So why shouldn't the Reds want to bring him back?

As solid as he is, Littell has a flaw, and that flaw is even more pronounced at Great American Ball Park. He's overly susceptible to the long ball. Littell coughed up 1.7 HR/9 after coming over at the deadline, and that was after giving up 1.8 HR/9 in the homer-friendly stadium Tampa called home in 2025. His career mark of 1.46 HR/9 isn't much better, either.

That makes him a poor match for Cincinnati, but even if it weren't for that, a reunion with Littell wouldn't be the best use of assets. Brandon Williamson and Julian Aguiar will be back in action next season. So will Rhett Lowder. Beyond that trio, the Reds have some decent depth down in the minor leagues.

Simply put, Littell just won't be a necessity the same way he was back in July. For a Cincinnati team that needs offensive upgrades in the worst way, pouring that $10-$12 million into the lineup makes much more sense, and that's before you consider the fact that, even if the Reds did need a starter, Littell would be one of the last places they'd look thanks to his homer-prone tendencies.