The Cincinnati Reds have a very young nucleus of young, talented pitching. Hunter Greene(25), Nick Lodolo(26), Rhett Lowder(22), Andrew Abbott(25) and that’s to just name a few. They also have guys like Connor Philips, Chase Petty, Chase Burns and a guy in Zack Maxwell who has back of the bullpen type stuff coming in the very near future. Plus we need to mention Luis Mey, who was just named Arizona Fall League relief pitcher of the year. You can find out more about him in a previous article from earlier in the week right here.

Nick Martinez had an opt out in his 2 year $26mil contract and could have tested the market. Martinez was one of the best starters in MLB to end the season. His last 7 starts, Martinez went 4-1 with a 1.76 ERA and would go 7-2 in his last 15 games(11 starts) with a 2.27 ERA. Martinez will turn 34 during the 2025 season. I am glad the Reds found a way to bring back Nick Martinez without significantly over paying. I think the veteran presence of Martinez had a positive effect on younger guys like Hunter Greene, who had a breakout season in 2024. Martinez provides depth to the rotation and the bullpen if need be.

Jack Flaherty:

Jack Flaherty was a solid pitcher for the St. Luis Cardinals from 2018-2023. The Cardinals traded him to Baltimore at the deadline in 2023 and he struggled down the stretch for them, finishing with a 1-3 record with a 6.75 ERA. After signing a 1 year deal with Detroit, the Dodgers acquired him at the deadline from the Tigers and finished the season 6-2 with a 3.58 ERA for LA and is competing for a World Series championship. Flaherty’s projected value is a 3 year deal worth around $70 million, that’s within the Reds’ market. If Martinez walks, Flaherty should be on the Reds radar.

Walker Buehler:

Walker Buehler is a wild card for me. Buehler has great stuff, but is fresh off a second Tommy John surgery so there’s risk involved. As of writing this(October 29th), Buehler hasn’t allowed a run in his last 2 outings this postseason in 9 innings. His fastball still hits 96, his cutter shows late life and his breaking balls have looked sharp. He may be the best value out there this offseason. Look for a cheaper 1 to 2 year deal with club options and incentives, still just 30 he has a bright future ahead of him.

Jordan Montgomery(Trade)

Jordan Montgomgery turned down a multi year deal from Boston to sign a 1 year deal with Arizona that had a player option for 2025 at $22.5mil. Jordan did not have a great year and has actually left his agent Scott Boras and signed with Wasserman. He signed his player option so Arizona will most likely look to trade him. Could you get Montgomery and his “bad contract” for a Jeimer Candelario or a player with upside like Will Benson and low level prospects? Montgomery was dominant in the postseason in 2023. I blame the lack of preparation for the lack of success in 2024, you could see him return to form in 2025.

Revamp Bullpen:

The bullpen needs a lot of work for next year. Is Alexis Diaz going to be your closer for the future? Will Graham Ashcraft be moved to the bullpen? What about Jakob Junis? Will he start or will he go back to the bullpen as a long man? Emilio Pagán was a disappointment in his first year in Cincinnati, Fernando Cruz was dominant until, he wasn’t. I’m not a huge fan of bringing back former players, but I wouldn’t mind seeing both Jeff Hoffman and Aroldis Chapman(before he was signed by the Red Sox) coming back to Cincinnati. Hoffman finished ‘24 with a 2.17 ERA in 66.1 innings with a .96 WHIP. Aroldis Chapman, at 36, is still a solid relief pitcher and is still topping out in the triple digits. Aaron Bummer is another lefty I would like to see the Reds go after.

Photo Credits: Clutch Points, Instagram, MLB.com, ESPN

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