The Brady Singer buzz is getting loud enough that the Reds may have to decide whether they’re willing to let Chicago set the market.
What started as online chatter has now turned into something more concrete, with ESPN’s Jesse Rogers tying the Cincinnati right-hander to the AL Central-leading White Sox in a recent column. Rogers pointed to Chicago’s need to shore up its rotation before the trade deadline and framed Singer as a natural fit, especially because of his relatively modest salary.
The sticking point is what Cincinnati would get back. Rogers suggested the Reds shouldn’t have to dip into Chicago’s top 10 prospects and floated right-hander Mason Adams as the kind of return that could work.
Adams is ranked eighth in the White Sox system by MLB Pipeline and was placed just inside FanGraphs’ top 15 before the season. He’s now at Triple-A Charlotte.
That’s a respectable headliner, but Cincinnati may have reason to push for more. The Reds are looking for a controllable arm who can help them in 2027, and a market with more buyers than sellers usually gives clubs room to ask for a little extra. Singer’s recent form only strengthens that argument.
On the surface, his numbers look ordinary enough: a 4.53 ERA in 20 starts entering Wednesday. But the last nine outings tell a different story, with Singer posting a 2.92 ERA over that stretch.
That kind of rebound matters at this time of year, when even a mid-tier starter can come at a steep price. The Reds know that better than most after last summer’s deal for Zack Littell, when they sent former pitching prospect Adam Serwinowksi and right-hander Brian Van Belle to the Rays.
Adams would fit Cincinnati’s deadline profile, but the Reds may be able to squeeze out more. The article suggests another top-25 organizational piece - Landon Hodge, Blake Larson, or Mathias LaCombe - could be enough to get a deal done.
With the August 3 deadline approaching, teams still have to decide how hard they want to push. Cincinnati has picked up ground in the Wild Card race, but it still looks like one of the few clubs positioned to sell. And with other starters such as Robbie Ray, Kevin Gausman, and Tarik Skubal also being mentioned as possible deadline names, Singer’s price tag - in money and prospect capital - is going to draw plenty of attention, especially from the White Sox.
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