Opinion: Cincinnati Reds Have Easy Decision to Make Regarding Hunter Greene's Future

There has been a lot of speculation lately on Hunter Greene's future and whether the Reds could look at trading their ace this offseason.

Stop it. It's not going to happen, and it shouldn't happen.

In his latest piece, Reds beat writer Mark Sheldon floated the idea of trading Hunter Greene in exchange for some offensive firepower, suggesting that dealing a high-end arm could help plug a glaring hole in Cincinnati’s lineup.

"Would trading Hunter Greene help bring back a bat," Sheldon asked.

"Greene, a 2024 All-Star and two-time Opening Day starter, is signed through ‘28," he continued. "The right-hander with triple-digit velocity has shown he can be a dominant force on the mound, but that ability has been stunted by extended stints on the IL in each of his four big league seasons. The injuries the past three seasons were considered relatively minor, including the Grade 1 right groin strain that cost him over two months this season. He's never pitched more than 150 1/3 innings or made more than 26 starts."

While certainly we would all prefer Greene to stay healthy for a full season, he's phenomenal when he is healthy.

Greene is on a team-friendly contract that runs through 2028 with a club option in 2029 for $21 million. Over the last two seasons, he's made 45 starts with a 2.76 ERA. That is among the best in all of Major League Baseball.

Reds President of Baseball Operations, Nick Krall, was asked about possibly trading Greene.

"I don't want to speculate on anybody that's going to get traded or not traded at this point," he told Gordon Wittenmyer of The Enquirer. "Because we haven't had any conversations with other clubs. I don't know what the needs are out there. I don't know what people are available as well."

This is pretty much "GM speak," but it would have been nice to see Krall come and support Greene by saying there is no way Greene is getting traded and he's a huge part of their future.

The Reds are never going to be able to sign a pitcher like Greene on the free agent market. Trading him, while on a team-friendly contract, with plenty of years remaining, would be a terrible decision.

Yes, the Reds need offense. There are plenty of ways to acquire more offense without trading your 26-year-old ace.

The Reds went 83-79 this season and made the postseason for the first time since 2020 and just the second time since 2013. They fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers in two games in the National League Wild Card series.