The Cincinnati Reds prioritized their pitching staff this offseason, and it’s already proving to be a prescient decision. Brady Singer was brought in from Kansas City via trade, and the Reds went big via the Qualifying Offer to eventually retain Nick Martinez after a stellar 2024 campaign.
That came on the heels of Tommy John surgeries to both Brandon Williamson and Julian Aguiar, and so far this spring we’ve already seen both Andrew Abbott (shoulder) and Rhett Lowder (elbow) be held back a bit due to lingering injury issues. Martinez, it would appear, is going to be leaned on early and often in the rotation as the Reds sort out the rest around him.