Reds should consider this familiar face rather than keeping Brady Singer

Hunter Greene has officially had his Tommy John surgery, and likely won't pitch at all in 2027. That leaves the Cincinnati Reds with a void in their rotation they weren't planning for (but should have expected). The Reds are going to be forced to find a solution this winter.

The most logical choice might simply be to reunite with Brady Singer. They know him and he's a free agent-to-be. But is he the best solution? Singer is only 30 and likely will be seeking a multi-year deal. Maybe the Reds could convince him to take the qualifying offer, but even then, there may be a better path forward.

Cincinnati should be looking to ditch Greene and get his salary off the books. Turning around and giving roughly the same, if not more, money to Singer might not be the best course of action with other needs on the docket.

Instead, finding a candidate for a one-year deal might be the best course of action, and there is another hurler whom the Reds know well who will be a free agent at season's end: Nick Martinez.

Nick Martinez would give the Reds the stability and the flexibility they need

As things are currently constructed, the Reds can count on having Chase Burns, Nick Lodolo, and Andrew Abbott in their 2027 rotation. If Rhett Lowder can continue building upon the momentum he's generated and carry it through the end of the season, he'll earn a spot as well.

That still leaves an opening. Martinez's performance this season makes him the perfect candidate to fill it. With the Tampa Bay Rays, he's logged 138 innings with a 2.74 ERA. FIP doesn't like Martinez as much due to his lack of strikeouts (just 14.1%), but even at 3.96, he'd be well-qualified to pitch in the back of the rotation, especially considering his minuscule 3.6% walk rate.

Long-term, it would be best for Cincinnati if Chase Petty could earn a rotation spot out of spring training. Other young and promising arms like Jose Franco and Jose Acuna could be options, too, though maybe not out of spring training.

That's another reason why Martinez makes more sense than Singer. In addition to likely being cheaper in terms of years and money as a 36-year-old, he has extensive experience pitching out of the bullpen, which, of course, is another need for the Reds.

Point blank, the financials and flexibility matter a lot for Cincinnati, and Martinez provides answers to both of those issues. In a perfect world, the Reds' young arms fill the Greene void, but if they can't, having a more-than-capable starter in Martinez would be a major win. And if the youngsters prove their worth, Martinez can help solve the bullpen equation. Simply put, the team wins regardless of what happens if they reunite with Martinez.

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