Reds are running out of time to extend Brady Singer but one path keeps hope alive

In today's game, high-octane velocity and gaudy strikeout totals reign supreme. The Cincinnati Reds' rotation has plenty of those types of starting pitchers, and it's one of the reasons why their rotation is so highly regarded.

But as hurlers who chase velocity more than ever before, the pitchers who can't touch 100 on the radar gun can be overlooked. Case in point is Reds' starter, Brady Singer. He averages just about 91 mph with his fastball, but he's quietly developed into one of the league's most reliable workhorses.

The offseason uncertainty regarding Singer only serves to illustrate the point. He's not as flashy as Hunter Greene, but he's available, a quality that the Reds flamethrower has failed to develop. Chase Burns and Rhett Lowder are loaded with potential, but neither brings the certainty to the mound every fifth day that Singer does.

There's an argument to be made that Singer is the most valuable member of Cincinnati's rotation. Just look at how Nick Lodolo has responded to his blister issue versus the way Singer rebounded quickly and didn't miss a start. Stability, predictability, and durability — Singer brings all of that to the Reds, but the question is for how much longer.

There's still hope to extend Brady Singer beyond the 2026 season

One can make an argument that we all missed the forest for the trees with the offseason discourse surrounding Singer. The general consensus was that Cincinnati needed to trade him because he's an impending free agent and might price himself out of the team's budget. Instead, maybe Nick Krall and company should have been looking at ways to keep him around.

Starting pitchers get paid handsomely in today's market. They are the game's most valuable commodities. The 2024-2025 free-agent class has numerous comps for Singer in terms of pitchers of comparable age and ability getting some pretty hefty contracts. For example, Yusei Kikuchi, who was both older and less accomplished than Singer at the time of his free agency, signed a three-year, $63 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels.

With that in mind, it's not out of the question that the right-hander could find himself with a multi-year, $20-plus million AAV deal come this winter. Had the Reds moved to extend him last season when they originally made the trade with the Kansas City Royals, they possibly could have gotten him at a small discount. Now that chance is gone.

There's another card that Cincinnati can play. Keeping Singer beyond 2026 would be an important move to ensure stability in the rotation, but paying his market value might be outside of the budget. What the Reds can do is try another Nick Martinez kind of play.

By extending a Qualifying Offer to Singer, two things might happen, and either would be a good outcome for the Reds. Either Singer accepts the offer, and the Reds get him for another year while their young arms prove themselves. Or, the Reds benefit from how the QO impacts his market and they can bring him back on a multi-year deal at a lower-than-expected cost. Either way, the team would win.

Nothing will be resolved before the offseason, but it's clear as day that Singer will prove his value to the franchise in 2026, and the Reds will find themselves wanting to retain him once the season is over.