Terry Francona's latest remarks could quietly kill Reds trade speculation

The theme all offseason has been that the Cincinnati Reds' best chance to upgrade their lineup is to deal from their biggest strength, the cache of starting pitching. Either directly or indirectly, by clearing salary, it has seemed like a foregone conclusion that a starter needs to go.

Brady Singer has been the most popular option. The 29-year-old is entering his walk year, likely won't be retained, and is projected to make nearly $12 million in arbitration. He's no ace, but a reliable innings eater on a relatively affordable contract is an attractive chip that could bring back a reliable bat, and/or free up some salary to go pursue one in free agency.

The nuclear option would be a blockbuster, including Hunter Greene. This one has fans torn. Greene is as good as it gets when healthy, but he also might be the club's best shot to get a young, cost-controlled, impact bat.

While fans been awaiting a move that has felt like an inevitability, Terry Francona's comments during a recent appearance on MLB Network might have pulled the rug out from under the whole gambit.

Reds Rumors: Terry Francona's comments could prove that we've been wrong all along

Francona's not a dinosaur in terms of his thinking, but as a manager who has been around the block more than a few times, he has some ideas that harken back to the olden days. One of those ideas regarding his starting rotation came out during his conversation on MLB Network.

"I do not want our guys looking in the dugout after the fifth inning," Francona said. "I'd rather them be mad at me for taking them out of a game because they want to stay in."

Doesn't sound like a guy who is willing to give up his horses. Of course, that's ultimately Nick Krall's call, not Francona's, though you'd be foolish to think that the team president doesn't listen to Tito's input when constructing a roster for him to manage.

The bigger question, and it's something that Francona alluded to earlier in the interview, is whether or not the starters can hold up under that sort of throwback workload. Nick Lodolo's injury history is well-documented, Greene has had trouble staying healthy almost since the moment he turned pro, and Andrew Abbott has endured some struggles as well.

It seems like if Francona has his druthers, the rotation will be the linchpin to Cincinnati's success in 2026, making a trade a remote possibility.