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The Cincinnati Reds made waves last week, extending star young pitcher Chase Burns on a seven-year, $105 million contract. The move sets the stage for other cost-controlled starters to secure a sizable guarantee (*cough* Jacob Misiorowski) while also giving the Reds a player to build around for the future.
However, the NL Central bottom-feeders probably aren't going to ride those good vibes to the playoffs. They sit a whopping 17.0 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers, who now hold the best record in all of baseball, in the NL Central and are behind eight others in the NL Wild Card race.
As such, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that they're expected to sell at the trade deadline, with anyone who isn't a part of the current core on the table. While it's unlikely that they'll try to make an intra-division trade, the Brewers certainly match up well as a trade partner.
3 Reds pitchers who should be on Brewers' radar now that Cincinnati is selling this summer
Before picking out individual names, it's best to acknowledge the obvious: The Reds aren't giving up Hunter Greene or Chase Burns or any of their other young starters, especially not to a division rival. If a trade is to be made here, it'll have to be for short-term pieces or relievers with a lower profile.
LHP Sam Moll
Perhaps the quintessential Brewers trade target, Moll is a 34-year-old southpaw earning less than $1 million in his second trip through arbitration this year. He's also mostly recovered from a disastrous 2025 campaign, even if his 4.43 ERA and 4.53 FIP are nothing to write home about.
As a cheap reliever with another year of team control remaining beyond 2026, he's the perfect low-risk addition that Matt Arnold craves this time of year. That he's holding left-handed batters to a .190/.289/.298 batting line this season is just the cherry on top.
LHP Brock Burke
Another left-handed relief pitcher, Burke is a true rental playing on a $2.325 million salary. He should be especially intriguing to the Brewers in particular, as he's a durable, rubber-armed pitcher who already has 49 appearances on his ledger this season (on top of 69 a year ago).
His impressive surface stats (2.89 ERA) are somewhat betrayed by semi-concerning underlying numbers (4.36 FIP, 4.50 xERA), but he's likewise dominating left-handed batters this year with mostly better data than Moll. As someone who can alleviate the stress from Aaron Ashby's crowded plate prior to the playoffs, Burke could play an outsized role in the Brewers' bullpen down the stretch.
RHP Brady Singer
The best starting pitcher on the Reds likely to be available this summer is Brady Singer, a soon-to-be 30-year-old with a 4.56 ERA over 19 starts this season. His numbers are all at or nearing career-worst levels, and even his usually reliable collection of fastballs is getting battered around the ballpark.
Then again, prior to 2026, he was one of the most consistent starting pitchers in baseball, tossing at least 150 innings in every season from 2022-25 while recording a 4.12 ERA and 3.95 FIP. Perhaps the real hold-up here is what remains of his sizable $12.75 million salary, which is almost certainly outside the Brewers' comfort zone.
Having already added Lance McCullers Jr. to the fold, there's no reason to overextend for a mediocre rental starter. However, if the Reds are willing to part with Singer for the sake of shedding salary in a lost season, the Brewers could be the right team to put him back on track.
Today's best reads
- Brewers need this postseason race to clear up for an active 2026 trade deadline
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- Injured Brewers southpaw kicks off rehab assignment as deadline decisions loom
- Brewers fans already know harsh Jacob Misiorowski reality relayed by MLB insider
- Projecting Brewers' post-trade deadline rotation after Brandon Woodruff's season-ending injury
This article was originally published on reviewingthebrew.com as 3 arms Brewers could pluck from rival Reds’ roster at 2026 trade deadline.
