Cincinnati Reds Need to Trade This 'Under-The-Radar' Trade Candidate

The Cincinnati Reds have a few big decisions to make ahead of the trade deadline. They are seemingly guaranteed to be sellers in some capacity, but it's unclear if the Reds will be conservive or aggressive in their approach.

The Reds are seemingly teetering on the fence with Hunter Greene as a trade chip, but it would be wise to keep him. As for the expiring contracts on the roster, they could be approaching their final days in Cincinnati.

MLB.com's Travis Sawchik recently called Reds pitcher Brady Singer one of the top "under-the-radar" trade candidates ahead of the deadline. Singer has quickly emerged as one of the most intriguing trade chips this season.

Brady Singer is a Quality Trade Candidate

Jul 29, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds pitcher Brady Singer throws against the Cleveland Guardians in the first inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"The most sought-after arms at the Deadline are impact starting pitchers. Tarik Skubal is the headline name, with arms like Kevin Gausman, Reid Detmers and Trevor Rogers a tier or two below," Sawchik wrote. "While Singer might not be the type of arm a club prefers to start a postseason game, he is the type of durable innings-eater who can help bolster a rotation to get a team to the postseason.

"Quietly, over the past month, even while pitching his home games at Great American Ball Park, he's tied for 26th among pitchers in fWAR, in addition to posting a 2.37 ERA. During that stretch, he has one of the most valuable sliders in baseball, by run value."

Starting pitchers are typically very highly sought after at the trade deadline because contending teams need a rotation of five quality starters if they want to get to the postseason. They might only use three or four starters in October, but to get there, they need quality arms.

That's where a veteran like Singer would come in handy. He's having a solid year and would be a very quality third, fourth, or fifth starter on a contending roster.

But should the Reds trade him away?

Reds Need to Trade Brady Singer in the Coming Days

Jul 17, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Brady Singer (51) pitches in the fifth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The answer to this question is a resounding yes. Let me explain.

Singer is on an expiring contract and he will likely sign with the highest bidder in free agency next offseason. It's hard to imagine the Reds would be the highest bidder in a free agency race for a quality starter.

The Reds also have a lot of solid pitching already on their roster.

They have Greene, Chase Burns, Andrew Abbott, and Nick Lodolo at the big league level. Rhett Lowder has shown flashes of excellence. Brandon Williamson has the potential to be an end-of-the rotation arm if he can bounce back from his injury this season. They also have minor league arms like Chase Petty in the farm system.

Holding onto Singer wouldn't make much sense. It would hurt the Reds a bit this season, but they're not likely to contend for a World Series title anyway.

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