Reds quietly watching Brady Singer turn into key rotation piece

In a year marked by injury and uncertainty, Brady Singer has given the Cincinnati Reds’ rotation certainty and stability. Every four or five days — every time his spot in the rotation comes up — the right-hander takes the ball and does his job. It’s not glamorous work, and he isn’t up for any major awards, but his workmanlike approach should be lauded and rewarded by the front office.

Since the All-Star break, Singer has shouldered a heavier load than usual. Nick Lodolo and Hunter Greene have both missed time due to injury, so Singer and fellow workhorse Andrew Abbott have combined for 80 of the 186 innings completed by Reds starters.

Somehow, Singer is thriving under the pressure. His ERA is nearly a full run lower in the second half, and his opponents’ stat line has dropped to .207/.285/.341 from .251/.327/.415. This is the kind of middle-of-the-rotation pitching that the Reds will need in order to compete for the next few years.

Reds should reward Brady Singer’s consistency with a new contract

Singer will at least be in the fold for 2026 when a projected starting rotation of Greene, Lodolo, Abbott, and either Rhett Lowder or Chase Burns should help the Reds keep pace in the division. Beyond that, though, his future is uncertain. Considering the injury history of that group and the fact that everyone else is signed through at least 2027, the Reds would be wise to keep Singer in the fold as a stabilizing force.

Putting a number on that deal, though, is tricky. Mitch Keller, whose numbers over the past five seasons are eerily similar to Singer’s, signed a five-year, $77 million extension prior to last season, but at the time, he was the Pittsburgh Pirates’ ace. Miles Mikolas, another comparable pitcher stat-wise, is in the final year of a three-year, $55 million deal, but he inked that contract in his early 30s when he was coming off an All-Star nod.

Singer, then, may have to look internally for a price point. Greene, of course, is on a majorly team-friendly six-year, $53 million deal with a $21 million club option. When Singer hits free agency, Greene will be set to make more than $15 million. With that in mind, a deal that pays Singer $10-$12 million could solidify the rotation as the younger Reds starters come of age. A weak free agency class, though, could push Singer’s cost even higher.

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