The Reds should consider trading Hunter Greene this offseason to accelerate a World Series push. Greene’s injury history and the depth in Cincinnati’s rotation make him a tradable asset, and a bold move could unlock a proven run-producer or top prospects while freeing payroll to chase a bat like Kyle Schwarber. Greene’s return this season showed he still carries ferocious upside, but Andrew Abbott has emerged as an upper-tier ace, signaling the Reds can survive a Greene exit if the package lands right.

The plan hinges on smart, baseball-smart leverage: ship Greene for an end-of-rotation starter plus a top prospect, then use roughly $42 million in savings to pursue Schwarber, a Middletown native who would immediately boost run production. Schwarber’s power and winning pedigree would shore up a left-to-right balance, while the Reds’ ownership and front office navigate the tradeoff between peak ceiling and immediate impact. It’s a calculated, high-variance path that assumes Cincinnati is ready to push past the middle and redefine its timeline.

In this context, Castellini and the Reds’ brass would need to balance health risk with upside. The article frames the exit strategy as time-sensitive with Francona’s ongoing leadership in mind, suggesting a window where a bold offseason could reposition the club for sustained contention. It’s not a cakewalk, but the potential payoff—scooping Schwarber and retooling the lineup around a healthy Greene—could alter the Reds’ trajectory for years to come.