Reds Veteran Pitcher Elects Free Agency

It appears Reds fans have seen the last of Paddack.

Jun 17, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds pitcher Chris Paddack (56) throws against the New York Mets in the seventh inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

If the times were any darker surrounding the Cincinnati Reds, there would be no fans left watching the games. On Tuesday, the Reds ensured they would lose their ninth straight series to the Milwaukee Brewers in front of the home crowd at Great American Ball Park.

Wednesday's game with the Brewers might be a matter of pride, but at the moment, this team is down in the worst way. One could close their eyes and point their finger randomly at any position on the field or in the front office as to why this season has been such a failure. However, it's been even worse to deal with all the injuries the franchise has had to deal with.

The injuries to the starting pitching rotation have been a laundry list, which is why the team brought in Chris Paddack back in May. Now, it appears Paddack's time with the franchise is over.

Jun 14, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Chris Paddack (56) pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the ninth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Chatterbox Sports has learned that the right-hander has elected to go to free agency after being sent down to AAA Louisville on assignment.

The Reds had to make a move regarding the starting rotation, as Hunter Greene will be back in the very near future. It was very obvious that once the rotation got healthy again, that Paddack would more than likely be the odd man out.

2026 has not been the year for Paddack. The former eighth-round pick started the season with the Miami Marlins, and let's just say things did not go well down south. Paddack left the Marlins with a 0-7 record and an ERA that, if it were someone's credit score, they'd probably be thrilled.

Paddack's second chance came with the Reds, and for the most part, it was more of the same of his performance from his time with the Marlins.

May 23, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds pitcher Chris Paddack (56) throws against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

In his last three appearances with the Reds, Paddack came on in a relief setting. If that wasn't a clear sign that he would be gone when the likes of Greene and Brandon Williamson return, then I'm not sure what else could be.

In those appearances, Paddack allowed six runs, which has moved his ERA to 6.96 on the season. Not sure what the market could be for Paddack, but he is willing to find out. A team that is short on starters and is desperate for an arm could come calling. Hey, it's worked before, why not try it again?