Heading into the 2026 MLB season, the Cincinnati Reds’ biggest strength is quite clearly their starting staff. Headlined by a true ace in Hunter Greene, the Reds’ rotation features both high-end talent and depth.
Beyond Greene, Cincinnati has Nick Lodolo, Andrew Abbott, and Chase Burns, all of whom are young, talented pitchers. Add in a veteran in Brady Singer, and the Reds have a well-rounded group.
If the Reds are going to find success this season, it will almost certainly be driven by those five arms.
However, is it possible that Cincinnati moves on from one of those pitchers in the final stages of the offseason? Let’s evaluate the possibility.
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If the Reds feature a high-end rotation, what the Los Angeles Dodgers have to offer is nothing short of an Avengers-esque group.
Shohei Ohtani. Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Blake Snell. Tyler Glasnow. It doesn’t get any better than that.
But you’ll notice that’s only four names. The fifth spot is up for grabs, and second-year pitcher Roki Sasaki will be in the running to take on that role.
Los Angeles could continue with a six-man rotation, but either way, after a turbulent rookie campaign, Sasaki will be given a chance to prove that he’s worthy of getting regular starts.
However, instead of seeing how Sasaki develops in year two, Christopher Kline of FanSided believes the Dodgers could consider sending him to the Reds in exchange for Greene.
“Sasaki’s rookie season was a mixed bag, but in terms of pure stuff, there aren’t many better arms in MLB. Once he locks in command-wise, Sasaki ought to take off into the stratosphere. Cincy develops their pitchers well and would no doubt love to get a pitcher whose ceiling may even eclipse Greene’s, if all breaks right,” wrote Kline.
Is a Roki Sasaki For Hunter Greene Trade Realistic?
It’s important to note that Kline did not pitch this as a one-to-one swap, mentioning that some bats from the farm system would need to be included on Los Angeles’s side.
Either way, it’s still hard to see the Dodgers and Reds ever coming to terms on a deal centered around Sasaki and Greene, especially on Cincinnati’s side.
Yes, the allure and potential of Sasaki is very real. However, what Greene immediately offers is likely much more appealing to the Reds’ front office.
Greene is an All-Star-caliber pitcher, and before going down with an injury in June, he was a legitimate part of the Cy Young conversation. The Reds aren’t hoping that Green develops into an ace; he’s already cemented himself as one.
The “potential” and “ceiling” conversations may also not carry as much weight as some would believe. At just 26 years old, Greene can certainly continue to develop and take his game to another level.
Finally, the Reds are a team that’s looking to do some damage in 2026. A World Series may not be in their range of outcomes, but ownership has clearly shown that they’re looking to improve after bumping up the payroll this offseason.
Greene, who has four years of quality play in the MLB under his belt, fits that mindset much more than Sasaki.
If Greene were set to walk in free agency in the near future or if Cincinnati were looking to completely rebuild, this trade could make sense. However, that’s not the case, so it’s hard to ever see this trade proposal coming to fruition.
Hunter Greene Stats
Greene was shelved for nearly two months last summer, but when he was on the mound, he was spectacular.
2025 Stats:
4.4 WAR
19 starts
7-4 record
107.2 IP
2.76 ERA
0.938 WHIP
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