The offseason is here, and the Reds are already seeing one of their biggest names pop up in trade chatter.
MLB Trade Rumors has listed Hunter Greene as the most likely Cincinnati player to be moved this winter, a suggestion that will sound familiar to anyone who has followed the club over the last couple of years. Greene’s name keeps surfacing every offseason, and this time the timing is tied to both his contract and his health.
That injury piece is the big one. MLBTR pointed to Greene’s second Tommy John surgery, which happened in August and will cost him the entire 2027 season. Cincinnati is responsible for a $15MM salary that makes him the highest-paid player on the roster right now, with $16MM due for 2028 and a $21MM team option for 2029.
That kind of financial setup could make Greene a candidate for a salary-clearing move, especially with the Reds facing a season where he won’t be available at all. But the market won’t be easy. When a pitcher is injured and expensive, the return usually shrinks fast, and MLBTR acknowledged that reality.
“It’d sting to sell low on Greene, a former second overall pick who has shown a top-of-the-rotation ceiling around an all-too-frustrating series of injuries. Greene combined for a 2.76 earned run average and 29% strikeout rate in 45 starts between 2024-25 but missed time along the way to groin and elbow issues.”
There’s also another layer here: with the MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement nearing expiration, it’s unlikely the Reds would be eager to move one of their more affordable contracts unless someone comes in with an offer they simply can’t ignore.
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