Are the Cincinnati Reds going to trade Hunter Greene? Probably not. The 26-year-old is under team control through 2029 at an affordable rate. He's due only $8.3 million next season, scaling up to $21 million in 2029, which is a club option. The Reds just made the playoffs in Terry Francona's first season at the helm. The goal is to move up in the standings, not down, and Greene is one of the best value deals in MLB.
That has not stopped the rumors from percolating, however. Such is life for small-market clubs, as there will always be a question of whether or not Cincy can keep Greene beyond his current contract — and, if not, how long he sticks around until the Reds bite the bullet and parlay Greene into essential depth elsewhere.
What should the Reds look for in a Hunter Greene trade?
The emergence of Noelvi Marte and Sal Stewart, in addition to Elly De La Cruz's clear superstar upside, gives Cincinnati an incredibly strong foundation to build upon. The hope is that the emergence of other top prospects, such as shortstop Edwin Arroyo and outfielder Héctor Rodríguez, can further supplement the lineup in the years to come.
That said, Cincy does need more bats beefing up the depth chart in general, particularly in the infield. Spencer Steer and De La Cruz are locks at first base and shortstop, respectively, but Matt McLain's sudden decline has left a gaping hole at second base. The Ke'Bryan Hayes trade gave Cincinnati one of the best hot corner gloves in MLB, but the hitting is borderline untenable. The aforementioned Stewart could move off of DH, but no matter how you slice it, the Reds need more pop. Another bat, ideally several. This team ranked 21st in both home runs and slugging percentage last season.
If Cincinnati is trading Greene, the rotation will also become a point of emphasis. Cincy has solid depth on the mound, but closer Emilio Pagán and starter Zack Littell are free agents. Brady Singer is entering a walk year. You cannot deal Greene without receiving at least one bankable MLB arm in return, ideally multiple — ideally with significant upside and lots of club control. That's the only way to justify such a move.
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Which teams could be interested in Hunter Greene?
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles remain bullish in their intent to add a frontline starter this offseason. Given Mike Elias' history as a GM, it feels far more likely that Baltimore would engineer a trade using its wealth of prospects, rather than shelling out top dollar for a free agent. Greene's age and controllable contract put him right on the same timeline with a young O's core, making him an especially appealing target.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Rumblings of a more aggressive Pittsburgh Pirates merit your attention. And while Pittsburgh needs to expend resources on the lineup first and foremost, matching Greene with Paul Skenes, Jared Jones and Bubba Chandler in the rotation is a heck of a concept. Pittsburgh has a deep farm system and could decide to double down on a strength, as Greene's contract falls within even Bob Nutting's price range. The Pirates need to prove to fans — and to Skenes — that the team is serious about winning. Greene proves that point.
Los Angeles Dodgers
You probably don't want to hear this right now, but the Los Angeles Dodgers have the No. 1 farm system in MLB. This organization's success goes far beyond outspending opponents in free agency. The Dodgers are mostly set on the rotation front, but an opportunity to upgrade Emmet Sheehan or Tyler Glasnow into Hunter Greene won't be ignored. The Dodgers hammered Greene in the NL Wild Card and there's probably hesitance to deal him to a bonafide superpower, but at the end of the day, it's a business. If the Dodgers make the best offer, that's on the other 28 MLB teams.
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs still need a frontline ace, even after Shōta Imanaga's unexpected qualifying offer decision. Greene checks all the right boxes. Cincy almost certainly balks initially at the idea of trading Greene within the division, but Chicago has a ton of intriguing bats in the pipeline and the necessary motivation to go all-out, especially since Jed Hoyer would much prefer adding a cheap via trade, rather than tanking his cap sheet with an ambitious free agent signing.
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are always in the market for star-power, but the rotation feels especially vulnerable right now. Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón and Clarke Schmidt are all working their way back from shoulder/elbow surgeries. Beyond Max Fried and Cam Schlittler, there's not much guaranteed stability with this group. The Yankees have a lot of young boppers and intriguing Minor League arms to tempt Cincinnati with. Greene would look damn good in pinstripes, like most players do, unfortunately.
Detroit Tigers
There are two potential paths here. The Detroit Tigers absolutely have the trade ammo to get a deal done. Greene would make for one heck of a No. 2 behind Tarik Skubal. He can also serve as their new headliner if Detroit opts to trade Skubal, which is one way to restock the farm system after burning multiple top prospects on Greene. His cheap, controllable contract makes such an arrangement quite appealing on paper, although in a perfect world, fans would prefer to watch Skubal and Greene blitz opponents for the next decade.
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox have made it clear that priority No. 1 this offseason is adding a second ace behind Garrett Crochet. It's unclear whether or not Craig Breslow views the Sonny Gray trade as fulfilling that mandate. Boston should remain aggressive, as Greene would profile as a far more dominant and durable second ace. Expect a lot of loud mitt pops and high-velo punchouts with Greene and Crochet both locked up for years to come, giving Boston a long window to contend with the best pitching duo in the AL.
New York Mets
The New York Mets gave Juan Soto $765 million last offseason, only to miss the postseason in 2025. The rotation needs a major facelift and, with Dylan Cease off the board, the list of true free agent aces is dwindling. A trade might offer them a better solution. Greene comes at a financial discount and the Mets boast one of the deepest farm systems in MLB. A headlining duo of Greene and Nolan McLean for the next four-plus years is an exciting proposition.
Which team can offer Reds the best trade package for Hunter Greene?
Boston has the right mix of MLB-ready bats and pitchers to pique Cincinnati's interest. This is a hefty price to pay, but it feels worthwhile, especially in a market that sees San Diego burning MLB's No. 3 overall prospect on an elite closer. Greene is under club control through 2029 and should supply fringe Cy Young value for the majority of his contract.
The Red Sox need to alleviate their outfield logjam. Jarren Duran instantly becomes an essential presence in the middle of Cincinnati's lineup, supplying 20-home run and 30-stolen base upside in any given season. The defense is a bit erratic, but Duran is an incredible athlete and he tends to deliver in clutch moments — at least at the plate.
Payton Tolle, Boston's No. 2 prospect, produced mixed results in a handful of MLB starts down the stretch, but the 23-year-old should settle into a weekly role come 2026. His fastball is one of the best individual pitches in his age bracket. If the Reds can help Tolle expand the effectiveness of his off-speed offerings, there is legitimate ace potential. He posted a 3.04 ERA and 0.99 WHIP across 20 games (18 starts) in the Minors last season, with 133 strikeouts in 91.1 innings.
Mikey Romero, Boston's No. 7 prospect, could start opposite Elly De La Cruz at second base as soon as next season. He boasts impressive pull-side power and displays solid range on defense, with the potential to start at shortstop if the Reds ever decide to move De La Cruz to a less consequential position. Romero had a .745 OPS and nine home runs in 45 games with Triple-A Worcester in 2025.
Boston gets its ace. Cincinnati gets an All-Star outfielder, a talented up-and-comer in the middle infield, and one of MLB's top pitching prospects. Both sides probably come away from this deal pretty satisfied.