Maybe Yankees Could Look to Reds for Rotation Help

The New York Yankees pursuit of top-flight pitching has fallen flat. At least, so far it has.

Freddy Peralta made his way to New York. However, it wasn't the Bronx. He's off to Queens, reuniting with President of Baseball Operations David Stearns, who, funny enough, has acquired him twice in his life. The last time he did it was in 2015 when they shipped Adam Lind to the Mariners.

Tarik Skubal is another name. He hasn't moved, but the pitcher, who is the new pitching bell of the ball, may be too rich for the Yankees' blood. Every time they ask, they find the price is too high. Spencer Jones isn't headlining any deals for him, and their whiff rate in the Skubal market is higher than Jones' on the field.

The Reds as Trade Partners?

If the Yankees are going to actually bolster their rotation and not make Ryan Weathers the centerpiece of their pitching acquisitions, they may have to go elsewhere. One team they can look to in particular is the Cincinnati Reds, who have a plethora of starters, including one arm who is set to hit free agency next year.

No, it's not Hunter Greene, but the Yankees can dream on him in a few years, in some faraway Winter when the Mets or Dodgers inevitably come away with him. Brady Singer is the pitcher in question, and while he may not excite fans, he is at least a realistic option since he has been dangled in trade talks for a while now.

Sep 28, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Brady Singer (51) looks on as Milwaukee Brewers catcher Danny Jansen (33) runs the bases after hitting a 2-run home run in the fourth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Earlier in December, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal wrote about the Reds potentially trading from their starter depth to fill other needs. The top end of the rotation may not truly be available, so that leaves Singer as the odd man out.

"The Reds remain open to the possibility if the return improves them for the present and future. But rival clubs doubt their big arms — Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, and Andrew Abbott — are truly available," Rosenthal writes in the Athletic.

"To trade one of those starters — or even Brady Singer, whose trade value is the lowest as a pitcher earning $12.75 million and entering his final season of club control — the Reds almost certainly would need a major-league-ready starter in return. And they still want more offense, too."

If the Reds do want major league pitching, it's doubtful that the Yankees would trade either Will Warren, Luis Gil or Cam Schlittler for a middling arm in his walk year, whose last name isn't Skubal. With the major league-ready bats they may require, there are Jasson Dominguez and Jones. It's hard to imagine they trade those guys in this situation either.

Oct 8, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler (31) celebrates after the sixth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during game four of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

If they do offload Dominguez or Jones, both young sluggers could find themselves on the Opening Day roster. Two of the Reds' three outfielders, Noelvi Marte and TJ Friedl, were both slightly above average bats last season, just eclipsing the 100 wRC+. Then there's JJ Bleday, who isn't good defensively or offensively, and may be the weak link of the three. It's his spot that is the most in danger of being usurped.

It seems doubtful that the Yankees offload the four aforementioned young guns for Singer, though. If they do acquire him, they may send over a name like Ben Hess. The Yankees drafted him in 2024. The thing with Hess is that he doesn't meet the criteria for "major league ready."

Brady Singer by the Numbers

Singer has the potential to be a decent add depending on the price. His projected numbers for 2026 are not so different than what Warren did last year in his first full season. According to Steamer, Singer is projected to pitch 176 innings with a 4.39 ERA and 4.35 FIP.

His peripherals are not all that enticing for a guy making $12 million this season, unfortunately, which is another reason why they likely won't see a Dominguez or Warren in a deal.

Singer is at or well below the 50th percentile, according to Baseball Savant, in xERA, xBA, fastball velocity, average exit velocity, strikeout rate, walk rate, barrel rate, and hard hit rate. It also isn't great that a pitcher who doesn't strike out batters has a 39.7% groundball rate, which is in the 37th percentile in MLB.

Singer isn't a great option. He may not even be a good one. At this point in the game, that's what's left for the Yankees.

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