Rival clubs are circling Cincinnati’s hard-throwing ace as the deadline looms. Moving the controllable starter could fetch a massive haul to revitalize the Reds' struggling offensive core.
Ken Rosenthal has reported that the Cincinnati Reds are receiving “significant interest” in starting pitcher Hunter Greene as the MLB trade deadline approaches. This is the first report of tangible interest in and the possibility of Hunter Greene being moved this season. Previous reports have centered on the Reds and their president of baseball operations, Nick Krall, being willing to listen to offers for Greene.
Rosenthal clarified that the Reds "aren't particularly motivated to move him." He’s a talented, controllable starter who is owed $15.3 million in 2027, $16.3 million in 2028, and Cincinnati has a club option on Greene for 2029. As the Reds are mainly focused on trading players on expiring contracts, such as Brady Singer, Tyler Stephenson, Nate Lowe, Eugenio Suarez and Brock Burke, it’s unlikely they will generate much of a return.
Trading Greene is the Reds' only way to make a significant impact at the deadline, according to Rosenthal, at least among their players who would be logical trade candidates, as it’s highly unlikely Cincinnati moves Elly De La Cruz. Additionally, the Reds have leaned on a strong pitching staff for multiple seasons. It might be worth testing what it looks like to invest offensively, especially given the rise of starter Chase Burns, who recently signed a long-term extension with the club.
The Los Angeles Dodgers make sense as a potential candidate, given their well-known pursuit of Detroit Tigers starter Tarik Skubal. If they can’t complete a deal for Skubal, Greene would be a logical next option. He’s a Los Angeles native, and he’s affordable and controllable for multiple seasons beyond 2026. The Dodgers also have one of the most talent-rich farm systems in all of baseball, with five prospects ranked in the top 25 of MLB.com’s top 100 prospects, including shortstop Josue De Paula (No. 4) and former Reds prospect Mike Sirota (No. 11).
A player like Hunter Greene should command prospects of that caliber because, when healthy, Greene is one of the more dominant pitchers in the league. However, his injury history could complicate a potential deal, as he has made only four starts this season with a 7.06 ERA after undergoing surgery to remove bone spurs from his right elbow in March. Greene pitched through the pain at the end of last season and elected not to undergo surgery shortly after the season, but the issue persisted.
As a result, Greene did not make his first start until early July. Despite his limited workload this season, teams are still interested in acquiring Greene, and it’s difficult to blame them.
