The Reds are expected to shop a handful of expiring contracts at the deadline, and Brady Singer sits right near the top of that list. He’s due a little under $13 million this season and is set to hit free agency after the year, which makes him exactly the kind of arm contenders will circle if they miss out on the headline names.
Singer’s recent run has only sharpened the interest. He’s not Tarik Skubal or Jose Soriano, but that middle tier of starters can still draw real attention when teams start scrambling for rotation help. With plenty of clubs trying to stabilize the back end of their staffs for the second half of the 2026 season, Cincinnati could find the market for Singer stronger than expected.
One possibility is a deal with the Cubs, even though trades inside the division usually come with extra baggage. Chicago is looking for starting pitching, though it may also be aiming higher on the board with Sandy Alcantara and Reid Detmers both rumored to be near the top of its list. If that chase falls short, Singer would still give the Cubs a useful rotation boost.
A package built around Brett Bateman could make sense for Cincinnati. Bateman is a top-20 organizational prospect in Chicago’s system and brings elite speed along with the ability to cover plenty of ground in center field, which is a spot the Reds need to address.
He’s also hit well at Triple-A this season, posting a .306/.428/.421 line. The Reds already dealt with Pittsburgh last summer, so a move with another NL Central club wouldn’t be out of character.
Atlanta is another team that could be in the mix. The Braves are trying to upgrade their rotation before the postseason, and with Spencer Strider and Spencer Schwellenbach on the mend, Alex Anthopoulos could be hunting for a short-term fix. In that kind of setup, Singer would fit as a stabilizing piece.
A return from the Braves could center on Herick Hernandez and Dixon Williams. Hernandez, Atlanta’s fourth-round pick two years ago, has already reached Triple-A, though command has been an issue.
Even so, his 28.3% strikeout rate stands out. Williams would be more of a developmental add, but there’s power in the bat, even if he still has to make enough contact to turn it into production.
The Phillies are another logical fit, and maybe the most aggressive one of the bunch. Philadelphia is expected to be active, and pitching will be the focus. Christopher Sanchez and Zack Wheeler give them a front end that already looks plenty strong, but the back of the rotation is where Dave Dombrowski is likely to hunt for help.
That urgency could work in Cincinnati’s favor. A deal sending Singer and Caleb Ferguson to Philadelphia could bring back Bryan Rincon and Mavis Graves.
Rincon, a switch-hitting shortstop, has broken out in 2026 at Double-A, where he’s hitting .250/.386/.460 with 23 stolen bases and a career-best 122 wRC+. Graves has been missing bats at a high clip, striking out 34% of the hitters he’s faced, and could eventually fit into a bullpen role.
Ferguson, meanwhile, is also on an expiring contract, since he’ll be a free agent after the 2026 season ends.
Then there’s the White Sox, who have emerged as a real contender in the American League. Chris Getz may not go all in, but Chicago can’t afford to stand pat either. The White Sox have the kind of farm depth that could produce major league help, and they also have a need for another starter without necessarily shopping at the very top of the market.
Mathias Lacombe and Gabe Davis would be the kind of prospect return that fits that lane. Lacombe has punched out 34% of the batters he’s faced at Double-A in 2026, while Davis has split time between High-A and Double-A and posted a 25.6% strikeout rate with an 8.1% walk rate. If the White Sox are serious about staying in the postseason race, Singer could be the type of arm that helps without forcing them into a blockbuster.
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Joey Votto Just Reopened One Of Reds Fans Deepest Wounds
Joey Votto has been making the media rounds lately, and for Reds fans, it has been a reminder of just how intertwined his legacy is with some of the franchises most painful modern moments. On MLB Networks MLB Now and NBCs Sunday Night Baseball, the former Cincinnati star looked back on his Reds career and acknowledged the way the teams struggles have shaped how people remember him on a national stage.
Votto also used the appearances to point out a young hitter who brings him to mind, naming Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony as a player with some of the same qualities. It was the kind of reflection that comes naturally from a veteran still close enough to the game to see himself in the next wave, even if the larger conversation around his Cincinnati years still carries the weight of unfinished business and old frustrations. [Read more 🡒]
Joey Vottos Cooperstown Reflection Says Everything About His Reds Legacy
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He also let a little of his trademark wit show when he discussed how fans remember him and the Reds, including the possibility that some Phillies followers know the club for the wrong reasons. It fit the broader tone of the night: part broadcast debut, part baseball meditation, part self-scouting session from a player whose reputation has always been bigger than any one box score. Votto later said the experience was really fun, and for Reds fans, it was another glimpse of the same thoughtful voice that made him such a singular figure in Cincinnati. [Read more 🡒]
Reds May Be Facing The Matt McLain Decision Fans Dread
As the trade deadline chatter starts to sort contenders from sellers, the Reds are at least being forced to think about an uncomfortable kind of infield math. Houston is holding firm on Jeremy Pea, the Angels sound reluctant to part with Zach Neto, and that leaves Cincinnati weighing its own middle-infield picture with Matt McLain back on a rehab assignment and working toward a return.
McLains name has surfaced as a possible change-of-scenery candidate because the fit is no longer as simple as it once looked, even if the Reds have not been said to be shopping him. He was struggling before the calf strain, and the club also has to balance his remaining control, his salary, and the fact that there are other roster paths to consider, which is why this is the kind of decision that can linger well past the first wave of deadline rumors. [Read more 🡒]