Nick Lodolo finally snapped Cincinnati’s 15-game run without a quality start on Saturday night against the Cubs, but that only put a spotlight on a much bigger issue hanging over the Reds.
A drought that long tells its own story. It also helps explain why the club has been struggling down the stretch, and why the conversation around this team is not just about fixing the offense. The rotation is heading into the offseason with real uncertainty attached to it, and that problem could follow the Reds all the way into 2027.
Chase Burns is the one obvious piece the Reds can build around. After that, the picture gets a lot murkier than Cincinnati should be comfortable with.
Andrew Abbott has faded late, though he still looks like an important part of the group. The issue is less whether he belongs and more whether he can get back to being steady and sustain that level across a full season.
Rhett Lowder’s year has been rough, and the swing-and-miss problem is hard to ignore. There is still development time ahead for him, but the Reds cannot bank on a big leap as the foundation of their offseason planning. He has to show more before Cincinnati can count on him for a full workload.
Then there’s Nick Martinez. The question around him is blunt: are the Reds really going to bring him back?
Would they actually hand him a Qualifying Offer worth more than $20 million? Right now, that would be a surprise.
Cincinnati has plenty of other holes, and tying up that kind of money in Singer would be tough to defend.
Hunter Greene’s situation only raises the stakes. After his second Tommy John surgery, he is expected to miss the 2027 season, which leaves the Reds to sort out their rotation without him in the mix.
He is also scheduled to become a free agent after the 2027 season, so the front office still has a major call to make about what comes next. Keep him?
Work on an extension? Listen if trade offers come in?
If Cincinnati keeps Greene, the bet is that he becomes a huge stabilizing force once he’s back. If they move him, they open another spot that has to be filled.
There are internal arms to consider, too. Julian Aguiar, Jose Acuna, Carson Spiers and Chase Petty all give the Reds options, though Petty has already been shifted into a bullpen role.
That group might help patch holes or compete for innings, but it does not look like the kind of depth you want to lean on for a full season in the rotation. Having names in the system is not the same thing as having dependable starters.
So yes, the Reds still need help on offense. But they cannot let that distract them from the pitching side of the ledger.
The rotation has to be part of the winter plan, and possibly a major part of it. Cincinnati may need to shop for a starter on the free-agent market, and the next CBA could make the offseason more complicated.
Even so, the Reds need to be ready to act.
The offense will get its share of attention. It has to. But the rotation cannot be treated like a side issue when the team turns toward 2027.
In Other News...
Reds Are Quietly Testing Two New Pieces For A Bigger Role
The Reds have spent the stretch quietly sorting through some less-heralded additions, and Juan Brito has already started to stand out as one of them. Cincinnati claimed Brito and Oswaldo Cabrera off waivers, bringing in two versatile pieces who fit the kind of roster flexibility teams often prize long before a bigger opportunity opens up. Brito has been getting regular run lately, and the early returns have shown a player who looks more comfortable at the plate while also giving the club some defensive options.
Cabrera brings a different kind of appeal, one that can matter to a manager trying to cover a lot of ground with a limited bench. The switch-hitter can handle seven positions and spent most of the year in Triple-A before arriving in Cincinnati, which makes him the sort of depth addition that can quietly grow into something more if the bat follows the glove. Terry Francona has sounded encouraged by both players, and the Reds at least appear willing to see whether either can become part of the bigger picture by 2027. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Head Into The Offseason With Two New Injury Concerns
The Reds offseason checklist got a little longer with two more medical appointments on the calendar. Spencer Steer is set to have right wrist surgery next Wednesday in Phoenix, while Tony Santillan is lined up for left hip surgery Thursday in Nashville to repair a labral tear, adding another layer of uncertainty as Cincinnati shifts from the seasons finish into winter.
For a club already mapping out its next steps, the news is a reminder of how quickly roster plans can get complicated at this time of year. Steer and Santillan are both now focused on recovery after injury setbacks during the season, and the Reds will have a clearer sense of their near-term depth only once those procedures are behind them and the long rehab process begins. [Read more 🡒]
Elly De La Cruz Is Closing In On Rare Reds History
Elly De La Cruz kept adding to an already eye-catching season with another reminder of how much he can impact a game in different ways, swiping a base and leaving the yard in a recent contest. The burst pushed him closer to a rare Reds benchmark, one that only a small handful of players in franchise history have reached, and it comes during a stretch in which he has been one of the best all-around performers in the sport since the All-Star break.
The numbers have placed De La Cruz near the top of the conversation in WAR and batting production, but Terry Francona has kept the focus on the broader picture rather than the milestone chase. For the Reds, that balance matters: De La Cruz is putting himself on the verge of special history, yet the emphasis inside the room remains on playing the game the right way and letting the rest sort itself out. [Read more 🡒]