manager Terry Francona is the latest member of the Cincinnati organization to downplay the possibility of trading a starting pitcher. Francona told the Baseball Is Not Boring podcast that he’s not looking forward to it Hunter Green trading. “I don’t think those things are going to happen…it’s going to be too hard for us to get pitching through free agency…we have to keep Hunter on the mound,” Francona said in a video broadcast by Chatterbox Sports.
President of baseball operations Nick Krall expressed a similar sentiment last month, downplaying the idea that the Reds would move players to the pitching position. Under Green, Cincinnati’s starters ranked sixth in the National League in ERA and third in strikeouts. Only starting pitchers from the Phillies, Diamondbacks and Braves have logged more innings.
Green struggled with a groin injury multiple times last season, but was still dominant when healthy. He posted career bests in xFIP (3.27) and SIERA (3.06) while throwing harder than ever. Green’s heaters averaged 99.5 mph in 2025, an increase of 1.9 mph from 2024. Among pitchers with at least 100 innings pitched, Green ranked fourth in swing batting average and sixth in K-BB%.
Green’s most notable improvement last season was how often he was in the strike zone. He hit 68.6% of the time and had a career-low 6.2% walk rate. Green has never had a season with a strike rate above 65 percent or a walk rate below 9 percent. Improved command has helped him keep his pitch counts low and get deeper into games. He has made quality starts in 11 of 19 games. Green has 13 quality starts in 2024, but it took him 26 games to get there.
If the Reds put Green on the transfer market, he will surely receive a handsome return. The 27-year-old signed a six-year, $530,000 contract extension in 2023. The deal includes a team option for 2029 worth $210,000. Green’s salary will increase each of the next three seasons, but even if the Reds (or another club) decline the team option, it will still be affordable in the final year of the contract.
Cincinnati has a stable of controllable starters besides Green. Andrew Abbott and Chase Burns Arbitration has not yet been reached. Nick Lodolo He won’t become a free agent until 2028. young people Rhett Lord and Julian Aguiar Each person only has one year of MLB service time. Brady Singer Is the only mainstay close to free agency as he is in his final year of arbitration. The Reds could keep most of this squad together for the foreseeable future if they wanted to.
Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea of Imagn Images.
