Brady Singer Just Made the Reds a Tough Phone Call to Answer

Brady Singer is not having the kind of season that gets a pitcher talked about in July. For most of 2025, his numbers have been pretty average. A 4.56 ERA across 19 starts. Not terrible, but not the kind of thing that makes contenders start lining up at the door.

But baseball is a sport that lives on what you did lately. And lately, Singer has been a different guy.

According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, Singer has posted a 2.76 ERA over his last eight outings. That stretch has changed the conversation around him. He went from a maybe-someone-will-bite trade chip to a guy who might actually move the needle for a team needing rotation help down the stretch.

The Reds have a decision to make

Cincinnati is sitting at 45-54, dead last in the NL Central. They’re not going to blow the whole thing up. Not with young talent like Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain on the roster. But they’re also not competing this year. That puts veterans on the roster in a weird spot.

Singer makes sense as a trade piece. He’s a right-handed starter with a track record. He’s not a rental either, which helps his value. The Reds could ask for a couple of prospects in return. A month ago that ask might have gotten a laugh. Now? It’s a real conversation.

The question is whether Cincinnati actually pulls the trigger. They’ve been sellers before, but they’re also the kind of organization that tends to hold onto arms a little too long. If Singer keeps pitching this well over the next two weeks, his name is going to come up in a lot of front office meetings.

Other names to watch in Cincy

Singer isn’t the only guy who could be packing his bags. The Reds have a few other trade candidates floating around. But Singer is the one whose stock is actually rising right now. That’s rare at the deadline. Most guys either hold value or lose it. Getting hotter in July is a nice problem to have.

Cincinnati has a game against the Mariners on Tuesday night. First pitch is at 9:40 PM EST. That game might not matter much in the standings, but it matters for Singer. Every start from here until the deadline is an audition. And right now, he’s passing.