The Cincinnati Reds received a devastating Hunter Greene update, as the All-Star right-hander is expected to undergo an arthroscopic procedure on his right elbow, knocking him out until July. Reds fans might not be fully shocked by this outcome, given Greene's lengthy injury history, but that doesn't make losing one of the best pitchers in the National League for the first half any easier.
Cincinnati can still field a solid starting rotation with Andrew Abbott and Nick Lodolo leading the way, but depth is seriously lacking. With that in mind, making a trade to bolster the depth would be wise, and the Toronto Blue Jays are a team worth calling.
This Reds-Blue Jays trade gives Cincinnati much-needed Hunter Greene insurance
The deal is a simple one-for-one with Cincinnati receiving Eric Lauer, a pitcher they're familiar with from his days in the NL Central and parting with Graham Ashcraft, a reliever. The Reds and Jays would both be parting with positions of strength and improving weaknesses.
While there are reasons to expect both fan bases might not love this deal, here's why it makes sense for both sides.
Why the Reds would make this trade
Starting pitching depth is critical in a 162-game regular season, and beyond their projected Opening Day rotation, they lack it. Their best depth starter is probably Chase Petty, a right-hander who looked overmatched in his first six big league innings in 2025. Lauer would represent a serious upgrade.
The southpaw posted a 3.18 ERA in 28 appearances (15 starts) and 104.2 innings last regular season, and he pitched well in the postseason as well, particularly in the World Series. He doesn't strike out many and allows more fly balls than a Reds team that plays half its games at the hitter-friendly Great American Ballpark might like, but he's a strike thrower and has found success both as a starter and as a reliever in his career.
Lauer is an ideal swingman for the Reds to roster, and he wouldn't cost that much. Graham Ashcraft throws hard, and his advanced metrics were impressive in 2025, his first year as a full-time reliever, but he's also expendable with Emilio Pagan, Tony Santillan, Pierce Johnson and Connor Phillips as other right-handed relief options for Terry Francona to turn to.
This deal might lean slightly in Toronto's favor value-wise, especially since Ashcraft is under control for two more years than Lauer, but starting pitching is hard to find this time of year, and is expensive when it's available. The Jays would be more than fine using Lauer in a swingman role. The Reds would have to make a deal worthwhile, and while Ashcraft might pitch well in Toronto, Cincinnati's bullpen should be fine without him.
Why the Blue Jays would make this trade
There are two reasons why this makes sense for the Blue Jays. First, Lauer doesn't seem to be the happiest in Toronto right now, making him a relatively easy player to move on from. Not only did he lose his arbitration case to Toronto earlier this offseason, but he made it clear that he'd like to be a full-time starter, and that's something the Jays can't realistically commit to right now, given their starting pitching depth.
Blue Jays Rotation Order | Name |
|---|---|
SP1 | Kevin Gausman |
SP2 | Dylan Cease |
SP3 | Jose Berrios |
SP4 | Cody Ponce |
SP5 | Max Scherzer |
SP6 | Trey Yesavage |
This list doesn't even include Shane Bieber, who is expected to begin the year on the IL, and intriguing young arms like Ricky Tiedemann and Jake Bloss, who will probably be in Triple-A. The Jays have a ton of starting pitching depth, and while Lauer might make some starts when needed for the team, it's unlikely he'll have a fixed role in the rotation. I'm not saying it's a guarantee he'd have one in Cincinnati, but that's certainly more likely.
The other reason why Toronto would make this deal has to do with the value they'd be receiving. By trading Lauer, who is on an expiring contract, they'd be getting three years of Ashcraft, a reliever who had a sparkling 2.72 FIP in 62 appearances last season. He allowed a total of two home runs in 65.1 innings, and he throws incredibly hard. Ashcraft specializes in keeping the ball on the ground, which is something that should play extremely well with Toronto's elite defensive infield.
The Jays could use another late-game reliever, and Ashcraft profiles as just that. Lauer might throw more innings, but on a per-inning basis, Ashcraft is the better pitcher and is more controllable. The Jays have enough starting pitching depth to make this happen, and given Cincinnati's need for rotation depth and Lauer's unhappiness, this trade makes sense for all sides.
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