Cincinnati Reds Urged to Fix Major Issue Ahead of 2027 MLB Season

The Cincinnati Reds have a pitching problem, and fixing it should be the top priority this offseason. Jim Bowden of The Athletic identified pitching as Cincinnati's biggest issue in his breakdown of every club's offseason needs.

The Reds posted a 4.83 ERA in 2026, 28th in the majors, and issued 668 walks, the most in baseball. They also hit 87 batters and allowed 826 runs in a season that ended at 75-87, last in the National League Central.

Fortunately, the Reds can build around right-hander Chase Burns. He went 15-3 with a 2.86 ERA, 185 strikeouts and a 1.17 WHIP across 154 1/3 innings. That is a legitimate ace and he is locked in on a seven-year, $105 million extension. The issue is what surrounds him.

Rhett Lowder returned this year after missing all of 2025 with forearm and oblique injuries and went 7-12 with a 5.74 ERA in 133 1/3 innings. Andrew Abbott led the rotation with 166 innings across 32 starts but managed only 12 quality starts in that workload.

The rotation's ERA of 4.97 and WHIP of 1.449 ranked 28th in the league. Quality starts came in just 49 of 162 games. The lineup had a ton of pressure all year long to produce because starting pitching did not keep the club in games.

Hunter Greene will not be available. He came back from elbow surgery in July, was shut down again with right elbow soreness and underwent a second Tommy John surgery in August. His projected recovery of 12 to 18 months puts his entire 2027 season in doubt. Cincinnati has to build as if he is not an option, because that is likely the case.

The bullpen needs work too. Emilio Pagan declined his $10 million option after saving 25 games with a 3.38 ERA and is a free agent. He was one of the better late-inning arms in the NL after returning from a hamstring strain in July. It will be tough to find a replacement.

There are plenty of players to target in free agency. The Reds could reunite with Nick Martinez who posted a 3.10 ERA in 31 starts with the Tampa Bay Rays this season. He made 42 starts for Cincinnati across 2024 and 2025.

Tyler Mahle, who left Cincinnati in the Spencer Steer trade in 2022, posted a 1.99 ERA in nine starts with the Atlanta Braves this season. Kevin Gausman, who went 4-2 with a 4.83 ERA after being traded to the Chicago Cubs at the deadline, could be a nice buy-low option.

Cincinnati has Burns and a long way to go.