Just days ago, Brady Singer looked like one of the most obvious names the Reds could move before the trade deadline. Now, that picture may have changed in a big way.
According to The Athletic, Cincinnati is expected to keep the veteran right-hander through the rest of the season and could even extend him a qualifying offer once he reaches free agency. Ken Rosenthal reported, “The Cincinnati Reds appear likely to hold potential free-agent right-hander Brady Singer and potentially make him a qualifying offer at the end of the season, a person briefed on their thinking granted anonymity to discuss the plans tells The Athletic,"
That would mirror what the Reds did with Nick Martinez two years ago. They passed on trading him at the deadline, then offered him the Qualifying Deal in the offseason, which he accepted.
It’s a surprising direction for a club that has every chance to turn a short-term asset into future help. Singer has posted an ERA under 3.00 over the past two months, and a trade would seem to give Cincinnati a clear path to improve its long-term outlook. Keeping him instead would leave the Reds in the same middle ground that has frustrated so many around the team.
That frustration is easy to understand. The Reds have hovered around .500, and the front office’s choices have done little to convince fans that a bigger leap is coming anytime soon.
“If we can keep our heads above water, we have a shot to hang in there," Krall told MLB.com's Mark Sheldon in June. "You’re going to have to take some more time before we can figure out exactly who we are and what we can do.”
Cincinnati enters this stretch 16 games back in the division, five and a half games out of the third and final Wild Card spot, and five games under .500. With those numbers, the case for selling seems obvious. If the Reds keep Singer, it will only add another confusing decision to a front office that has already raised plenty of questions.
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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
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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 🡒]