The Cincinnati Reds enter the 2026-27 offseason facing familiar questions about roster construction and starting pitching depth after a disappointing 75-87 campaign.
One name that has surfaced repeatedly as a potential trade candidate is left-hander Nick Lodolo, whose combination of remaining talent and dwindling team control makes him a logical piece to move if the front office wants to reallocate resources or address other needs.
In his recent Bleacher Report piece examining the most likely trade for all 30 teams, Kerry Miller specifically highlighted a deal involving Lodolo as the Reds’ most probable move.
Miller noted that Lodolo endured a rough 2026 season, delayed until Mother’s Day weekend by a blister issue that limited him to a 3-6 record and 4.97 ERA across 108.2 innings.
Despite that setback, Miller pointed to Lodolo’s sub-4.00 FIP marks in 2022, 2024, and 2025 as evidence that he remains a strong bounce-back candidate.
With only one year of arbitration eligibility remaining—projected around $5.7 million—Miller argued the Reds should at least gauge the market to see how much other clubs are willing to pay for that upside.
Lodolo’s 2025 season, in which he posted a 3.33 ERA over 156.2 innings, showed the kind of mid-rotation or better production the Reds have long hoped he could sustain.
His stuff has never been the issue; durability and consistency have. Blister problems have interrupted multiple seasons, and the 2026 campaign offered another reminder that health remains a variable.
For a club that saw significant attrition in its rotation and finished last in the National League Central, keeping a pitcher with just one year of control carries risk if he struggles again.
Trading him could free salary and return younger pieces or help address holes elsewhere, particularly in the lineup or on the infield.
At the same time, the Reds’ rotation is not deep enough that moving Lodolo is a painless decision.
Hunter Greene is recovering from elbow surgery, Brady Singer is a free agent, and younger arms like Chase Burns and Rhett Lowder still need to prove they can carry a full workload.
Any deal would need to account for the innings Lodolo provides when healthy.
Contending teams looking for a left-handed starter with proven stuff and a reasonable 2027 salary figure could still view him as a worthwhile gamble, especially if they believe a full, healthy season would restore the form he flashed in 2025.
For Cincinnati, the choice ultimately hinges on whether the return justifies creating another hole in an already thin rotation while banking on a rebound that may or may not materialize under a new organization.
