MLB Rumors: Reds 'Active' in Trade, FA Markets; Shane Bieber, Lucas Giolito Linked

Looking to upgrade their pitching staff, the Cincinnati Reds are looking at multiple avenues to add a starter.

Per MLB Network's Jon Morosi, the Reds are "active" in exploring free agency and the trade market with former AL Cy Young winner Shane Bieber on their radar.

Morosi also noted Lucas Giolito and Michael Wacha are among the Reds free-agent options.

Coming off a promising 82-80 season, the Reds are looking to strike while their stock is trending in the right direction. They have already made one notable move this offseason, agreeing to a three-year, $45 million contract with Jeimer Candelario.

Adding Candelario could be the precursor to a trade because they had a logjam on the infield before giving him that deal. He joins a group that includes Matt McLain, Noelvi Marte, Jonathan India, Elly De La Cruz and Christian Encarnacion-Strand.

Those six players are fighting for the four spots on the infield and at designated hitter. India has been talked about as a potential trade candidate, but Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall told reporters during the winter meetings they are "not looking to move him."

One potential solution could be having De La Cruz start next season in the minors to work on his plate discipline. He's only 21 and has a dazzling set of tools, but he also had a .300 on-base percentage and struck out 144 times in 427 plate appearances last season.

Bieber is the biggest name of the pitchers being targeted by the Reds. The Cleveland Guardians are always looking for ways to save money, and his estimated $12.2 million salary in arbitration might be more than they want to spend.

There are injury and/or performance concerns for all three pitchers connected to the Reds. Bieber has missed significant time in two of the past three seasons due to shoulder and elbow injuries. His decline in velocity last season made him much easier to hit, resulting in him posting the second-worst ERA of his career (3.80).

Giolito's 94 starts over the past three seasons are tied for sixth-most in MLB, but his 4.43 ERA during that span is tied for 85th out of 104 qualified pitchers.

Wacha might be the most reliable of the three pitchers at this point. He's started 47 games over the past two seasons, posting a 3.27 ERA with 228 strikeouts in 261.2 innings.

The Reds certainly need to come out of this offseason with one starter they can rely on for at least 150 innings. Graham Ashcraft was the only pitcher on the staff who threw more than 118 innings in 2023.