Unexpected NL Central chaos should finally silence Hunter Greene trade rumors

The MLB offseason has just begun, and the NL Central has already gone haywire. Almost as soon as the Cincinnati Reds' playoff run came to an end, fans began to hear wild speculation about a potential Hunter Greene trade this offseason. With the World Series now over, all 30 Major League teams are making their plans for the 2025-26 offseason, and the Reds aren't the only NL Central team who's primed for a wild winter.

The Chicago Cubs threw a monkey wrench into several team's offseason plans after declining Shota Imanaga's three-year, $57 million club-option. That triggered Imanaga's $15 million player-option for 2026, which he declined as well. The Cubs' lefty is now a free agent, and his return to Chicago appears unlikely.

The Cubs' pitching staff was already suspect entering the offseason, and now things look even more bleak for Craig Counsell's rotation heading into 2026. Throw in the fact that the Milwaukee Brewers plan to shop Freddy Peralata and the St. Louis Cardinals are trying to offload Sonny Gray, and you can see how the NL Central might look very different next season.

Reds Rumors: Shota Imanaga's free agency should halt Hunter Greene trade talks

With nearly every NL Central rival's roster in question, perhaps the Reds should cling tightly to Greene this offseason rather than trade him. Though the Reds front office has never outright admitted plans to shop Greene this winter, president of baseball operations Nick Krall has had several opportunities to deny those rumors, but has failed to do so.

Greene, as he has in the past, showed flashes of dominance during his 2025 campaign. But he struggled to stay on the field, starting just 19 games for Cincinnati last season. His lack of durability could be the driving force behind the trade rumors.

But with so much roster upheaval potentially set to take place within the division this offseason, trading Greene may not be prudent. Not only is Imanaga now a free agent, the Cubs are set to lose All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker to free agency as well.

Cincinnati's starting rotation was their strength in 2025, and could be again in 2026. But not if Greene isn't on the roster. While dealing their ace could bring back quite the haul that might help Cincinnati bolster their lineup, they could also spend some money this offseason in order to achieve the same thing.