Right now, the Cincinnati Reds have more starters than they know what to do with. Right now, the rotation seems like an overwhelming strength, one that the Reds could possibly deal from in order to solve their offensive woes.

That’s led to the persistent trade rumors surrounding Brady Singer. Or, perhaps, Hunter Greene is dealt in a blockbuster. Either of those two, or a different arm, leaving town could create a need.

However, even if all of the rotation cogs survive the winter, it might not be long until the Reds dip into their depth and begin looking towards the future in their rotation.

For one thing, Cincinnati’s starters aren’t all the picture of health, with Greene and Nick Lodolo in particular having checkered injury pasts. After all, it was just a few months ago that the Reds had to deal for Zack Littell at the trade deadline in order to patch a hole in the rotation for the stretch run.

Even if the unit stays healthy in 2026, a rarity in today’s game, Singer is a goner at the end of the season. The Reds need depth, but they also need to start thinking about their future, and that’s where Chase Petty comes in.

The Reds seriously need Chase Petty to take a gigantic leap in 2026

The Reds used Petty almost as something of a shuttle arm in 2025, with the 22-year-old making his debut at the end of April to start the second game of a doubleheader, and then immediately sent back down. He’d be called upon just two other times, a spot start on May 11, and to be used as an innings eater out of the pen during his final call-up in June.

It was a small sample size, just six innings of work in total, but it sure wasn’t pretty. In that time, Petty surrendered 13 earned runs on 14 hits, eight walks, and, on a somewhat positive note, seven strikeouts. The disastrous showing was good for a ghastly 19.50 ERA.

Poor performance over a small and inconsistent big league sample isn’t a huge red flag for a prospect, but the right-hander also struggled mightily at Triple-A Louisville, posting a 6.39 ERA over 112â…” innings. The walks again were too high, coming in at a 4.63 BB/9, which, when combined with an elevated 1.36 HR/9, proved to be a serious concern.

That comes on the heels of a less-than-dominant 2024 campaign when the Reds’ No. 7 overall prospect spent the majority of the year at Double-A Chattanooga and posted an unimpressive 4.39 ERA.

Petty isn’t the only top pitching prospect that Cincinnati has, but as the big league ranks thin out via trades and free-agency departures over the next couple of years, he’ll be needed. However, if he doesn’t straighten things out and prove that he can perform in the high minors, he’ll see his career stall before it even takes off. That would be a big blow to the Reds’ future plans.