Reds rumors put former division rival within reach, but a bidding war may price Cincinnati out

All signs point to the Cincinnati Reds targeting pitching early and often this winter. The latest Reds rumors are connecting Cincinnati with two-time World Series champion Dustin May, but they're not alone in their pursuit.

According to Jim Bowden of The Athletic, May is drawing a lot of interest on the open market. The Reds are among a grouping of teams that include the Chicago Cubs, Washington Nationals, Baltimore Orioles, San Francisco Giants, Cleveland Guardians, Miami Marlins, Chicago White Sox and Toronto Blue Jays.

That's no small list, and if May's free agency turns into a bidding war, it's difficult to see the Reds emerging as the victors. Cincinnati has a limited budget this offseason, and overpaying for an unreliable arm like May's would be unwise.

Reds rumors linking Cincinnati to Dustin May could quick disappear as his market expands

May is coming off a season in which he split time with the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers. The right-hander inked a one-year, $12.5 million deal with the Cardinals last offseason and was moved within the division to the Brewers before the August 3 trade deadline.

In total, May made a career-high 31 starts and covered 145⅔ innings of work. He tallied 144 punch outs (23.2% strikeout rate and limited the free passes (50) as evidenced by his 8.1% walk rate. May's 4.70 ERA is nothing to write home about, but his 3.63 FIP suggests that number might be a bit misleading.

Over the past two seasons, May has combined to appear in 56 games, including 54 starts and has logged 278 innings. But during his first five big-league seasons, he appeared in just 46 games and covered 191⅔ frames while pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers. A barrage of injuries kept May on the IL more times than he'd care to count. The ailments ranged from right elbow neuritis to low back tightness to a right forearm strain and even a ruptured esophagus.

May's a hard-throwing righty with a six-pitch mix, but he's little more than a No. 3 or 4 starter. Given what's seemingly going to be a rising price tag, the Reds may want to sit this one and refocus their efforts on a more durable (and affordable) mid-tier starting pitcher.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow