Surprising Reds Pitcher Mentioned in Trade Deadline Rumors

The Cincinnati Reds were without their ace, Hunter Greene, for the first half of the season because of an offseason elbow surgery. Chase Burns stepped up in a big way in Greene's place as the young flamethrower went 11-1 during the first half of the season to take the role as the team's ace.

Greene has since returned to the Reds. He had a horrible first start back, but bounced back in a big way with a huge performance against the Chicago Cubs. Still, there's some speculation that the Reds could look to trade the righty at the trade deadline.

Mark Sheldon of MLB.com recently suggested the Reds could look to trade Greene this season, but listed him as a "less obvious" trade chip ahead of the deadline.

Mark Sheldon Lists Hunter Greene as Potential Trade Chip

Jul 4, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Hunter Greene (21) pitches against the Baltimore Orioles in the second inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"Greene is signed through 2028 with a club option for '29, and his $8.3 million salary in 2026 jumps to $15.3 million in '27, and then $16.3 million in '28. The option is worth $21 million ($2 million buyout). That money could be reallocated to add more Major League players via free agency and trades," Sheldon wrote. "Greene's talent is elite but durability issues -- including his missing four months of this year because of surgery that removed bone chips from his right elbow -- could hamper the return. He fared poorly in his season debut on Saturday vs. the Orioles, when he gave up eight earned runs over 3 1/3 innings."

Greene has a few years of team control on his contract and would be quite the hot commodity if he were thrown on the trade block.

Greene is one of the best pitchers in the league whenever he's healthy, but he has struggled to stay healthy as of late. He missed some time last year with lower-body issues and missed the first half of the season with an elbow injury.

But that doesn't mean the Reds should trade him.

Reds Shouldn't Trade Hunter Greene

Greene is on a very team-friendly deal. It would be next to impossible for the Reds to replace his production by signing free agents with the money that would be saved by trading Greene. The righty is only being paid around $50 million over the next three seasons. That's a steal for an ace pitcher.

The speculation surrounding Greene doesn't make much sense. There hasn't been much noise out of the Reds or Greene's camp to indicate anything has ever been discussed. His contract isn't soon to run out. The Reds are competitive enough that if Greene can dominate down the stretch, they have a chance to make a run at the postseason.

Trading him would be the wrong decision. He should remain a Red for the rest of this season and beyond.

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