When front office activity resumes following Major League Baseball’s lockout, one of the biggest questions facing the Cincinnati Reds is whether they will trade one of their starting pitchers.
A decision to trade Luis Castillo, Tyler Mahle or Sonny Gray signals at least a short-term rebuild, pushing them out of playoff contention for the 2022 season. If the Reds don’t sign them to contract extensions, they have a two-year window to win with those starting pitchers before they reach free agency.
Castillo is probably the most intriguing case. He’s arguably the best pitcher on the trade market.