Reds Trade Deadline: Brady Singer Expected to Stay in Cincinnati

Mark Feinsand of MLB.com has reported that the Cincinnati Reds and president of baseball operations Nick Krall are still discussing trades for multiple players on expiring contracts but are currently expected to hold on to starting pitcher Brady Singer, with the possibility of extending him a qualifying offer after the season.

That qualifying offer is projected to be $23.1 million for the 2027 season.

The news has not been well received by Reds fans. Entering Monday, Singer being traded seemed like a foregone conclusion. He is the type of innings eater a playoff contender could use, and multiple teams, including the Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Phillies, could use a starting pitcher like Singer.

The idea of paying Singer just under $24 million for one season also does not make much sense. As I have mentioned before, he has been solid, but spending that kind of money on a pitcher who would, at best, be your No. 4 starter behind Hunter Greene, Chase Burns and Andrew Abbott next season is a head-scratcher. You could also argue that Nick Lodolo would be ahead of Singer, with Rhett Lowder also competing for innings.

Singer did have an excellent July, posting a 2.37 ERA in 30 1/3 innings across five starts. Maybe this is a leverage play by Krall to drive up the asking price, or maybe the Reds have simply set the price too high, and other teams are not interested. I do not necessarily blame Krall for wanting to keep Singer, but I strongly disagree with using the qualifying offer on him.

Based on Spotrac's multi-year payroll table, a $24 million salary would make Singer the highest-paid player on the Reds' roster by a wide margin. Assuming the Reds do not exercise Eugenio Suárez's mutual option, the next highest-paid player would be Hunter Greene, who is scheduled to make $15.3 million next season after signing an extension in July. There is also a case in which Singer doesn't accept the offer, seeking long-term stability. 

It also raises questions given the ongoing collective bargaining agreement negotiations, which some around the sport believe could lead to a lockout next season. Many owners have publicly expressed concern that games could be lost. In most cases, service time is still credited under a labor agreement, while players may continue to receive bonuses, deferred compensation, and option buyouts, depending on their contracts. 

As of 4 p.m. ET on Monday, the Reds still had not made a move involving the long list of players expected to be traded. Many Reds fans entered Monday expecting both Singer and catcher Tyler Stephenson to be dealt, with the possibility of J.J. Bleday, Brock Burke, Nate Lowe and others also being on the move.