The Hunter Greene trade chatter is doing more than stirring up debate in Cincinnati. It’s also forcing the Reds to think a few moves ahead, because if they do cash in their ace, the next priority should be obvious: get Andrew Abbott locked up.
That’s the real domino here. Greene’s name has been floating in rumors, with MLB insiders like Mark Feinsand putting the odds of a deal at 50-50.
And if Cincinnati gets the kind of return people are comparing to a Garrett Crochet-type haul, it could reshape the organization’s future. But once the deadline frenzy passes, the Reds would need to turn right around and protect one of the arms already in house.
Trading Greene would clear major money from the books. He’s making $8.3 million this season, then his salary climbs to $15.3 million next year and $16.3 million in 2028.
There’s also a $21 million option for 2029. If that contract is moved, Cincinnati would have a much easier path to redirect those dollars toward Abbott.
And Abbott is the guy who makes the most sense to keep. He’s said he’d be open to an extension with the Reds, and his performance since the start of May gives the team a real reason to act. He opened the year with a 5.97 ERA from Opening Day through the end of April, but since May 1 he’s been much sharper, putting up a 3.09 ERA across 16 starts and 87⅓ innings.
He may not be a true ace, but he’s a strong No. 2 option, and the Reds already have Chase Burns to be Batman. Abbott, at 27, is also just heading into arbitration for the first time this winter. That makes him exactly the kind of pitcher Cincinnati should try to keep cost-controlled through the arbitration years while also buying out a free-agent year or two.
A deal in the neighborhood of five years and $60 million would make a lot of sense for the Reds if they can get it done. Most of that money wouldn’t hit until 2029 and beyond, which would give the club more room to add short-term veteran help over the next couple of seasons. That kind of flexibility matters if Cincinnati wants to build back toward another push in 2027.
In that scenario, the Reds would be setting themselves up with two starters at the top of the rotation in Burns and Abbott for years. And if the deadline is really about reworking the roster around core pieces like Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart, then extending Abbott fits that plan as cleanly as anything.
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Reds Trade Deadline Plan Could Cost Them A Familiar Bat
With the trade deadline approaching, the Reds are taking a hard look at their roster and the market around it. Tyler Stephenson, Eugenio Surez and Brady Singer are all being floated as possible trade chips because of their expiring contracts, a sign Cincinnati is at least listening on veterans who could help another club down the stretch while also giving the front office some flexibility.
The more revealing part of the picture is that the Reds are also open to moving at least one hitter from a separate group that includes Nathaniel Lowe, JJ Bleday and Dane Myers. Spencer Steer had been in that conversation too before a wrist injury changed the equation, leaving Cincinnati to sort through a deadline plan that could reshape the lineup while potentially sending a familiar bat elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Tyler Stephenson Just Became A Reds Trade Deadline Dilemma
Tyler Stephensons recent stretch has quietly turned into one of the more interesting developments on the Reds roster. The catcher had been trending upward since early June, and his Fathers Day home run was another reminder that hes looking more like the kind of middle-of-the-order bat Cincinnati hoped he could become. For a team that values offense from behind the plate, that kind of production matters, especially when it comes from a right-handed hitter at a position that is always tough to fill.
The timing only makes the situation more complicated with the trade deadline approaching and catcher-needy clubs already searching for help. Stephensons improved bat has boosted his value at just the moment the market is tightening around available backstops, which puts the Reds in an uncomfortable spot. A player who helps them win now can also become exactly the kind of target other teams are lining up to pursue. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Deadline Could Bring Elly De La Cruz The Infield Help He Needs
The Reds are heading toward the trade deadline as expected sellers, and that puts a few familiar names in play. Players on expiring contracts such as Brady Singer and Tyler Stephenson could be moved, which would open room for Cincinnati to rework parts of the roster while keeping an eye on the young core already in place.
One path being discussed would send the club toward a young infielder who could help stabilize the group around Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart for the long haul. Cincinnati has spent plenty of time exploring different deadline scenarios, and this one is the kind that could shape not just the rest of the season, but the next few years as well. [Read more 🡒]