The Reds Knew the Risk With Nick Lodolo and Still Waited Too Long

It's no secret that Nick Lodolo has had blister issues. However, the hope was that he got his one blister out of the way this year late in Spring Training, which forced him to miss the start of the 2026 season.

Lodolo made his debut in early May and did not look like himself early on. However, going into Saturday's start against the Chicago Cubs, Lodolo had given up just one run over his last three starts.

The front office should have accepted weeks ago that the Reds were going to be sellers at the trade deadline. With that being said, they should have been aggressively shopping Lodolo after his last three starts. You never know when another blister issue or any injury could pop up, and the Reds had a chance to capitalize while Lodolo was pitching well.

Waiting until the offseason to potentially trade him only adds more risk. There will likely be fewer bidders, and with Lodolo down to just one year of team control, the Reds probably won't get nearly as much in return. That's not even mentioning the uncertainty surrounding a possible lockout.

It's just another example where this front office has failed. Teams like the Brewers and Rays know when to trade players to maximize the returns. The Reds seem to constantly hold onto guys too long and that seems to be the case here. With Lodolo going on the injured list on Sunday with another blister, his trade value has most likely plummeted.

What Can Lodolo Do Going Forward?

Reds non-roster invitee pitcher Nick Lodolo (86) delivers in the bullpen, Feb. 23, 2020, at the baseball team's spring training facility in Goodyear, Arizona Cincinnati Reds Spring Training 2 23 2020 | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Reds manager Terry Francona spoke to reporters on Sunday ahead of the series finale vs. the Cubs.

“I think we'll all talk and throw out ideas and things like that," Francona told MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. "Nick even mentioned it last night, talking to him. Saying that, you really got to think it through. Because for me to sit here in my chair and say, ‘Well, just move your finger over to the side.’

"The kid’s been pitching like this his whole life. I agree the blister is not good. If you hurt your shoulder [changing grips], there’s got to be some pulling back on the reins a little bit and not jumping in until you know something can really help.”

At some point, it sure feels like Lodolo has to consider changing his grip or making some type of adjustment. You simply can't be a big league starting pitcher and accept that blister issues are going to lead to multiple stints on the injured list every season. Maybe a change doesn't completely eliminate the problem, but when the same issue continues to pop up year after year, something has to be done differently. The Reds and Lodolo can't just keep hoping the blisters go away.

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