Singer's struggles continue as Reds ponder potential qualifying offer

CINCINNATI — It's becoming a $23 million question.

Should the Reds give soon-to-be free agent starting pitcher Brady Singer a qualifying offer? What seemed like a very strong possibility once Singer wasn't moved at the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline has become murkier.

Singer was roughed up again as the Dodgers handed the Reds an 8-2 loss on Thursday while clinching the National League West Division title for the 13th time in 14 years. With nine games left, Cincinnati (71-82) assured itself a losing season with its eighth defeat over the last 10 games — including six of seven games to the Dodgers.

Over 3 1/3 innings and 96 pitches, Singer gave up seven runs, nine hits, four walks and hit two batters while not striking out anybody.

“Obviously, pretty bad," Singer said. "A lot of walks and hard contact, stuff like that. Just trying to get the command going and obviously couldn’t get the ball where I wanted. They did damage on the bad pitches.”

Los Angeles jumped to a 2-0 first-inning lead on third batter Kyle Tucker's two-run home run, and it was 4-0 after Tucker's two-out RBI double in the second. Three more runs crossed in the fourth.

“I thought he was trying to get more and then he wasn’t commanding what he had and yanking some pitches," manager Terry Francona said. "Tough team to not command [against]. Make a mistake and they can really make you pay.”

The Reds got into their bullpen early again, which forced Francona to use Brandon Williamson for the final two innings. Williamson was expected to piggyback with Chase Burns' start on Friday and now other options will be needed.

"We’re going to figure that out," Francona said. "We have some things to work through, obviously.”

While the exact number of the free agent qualifying offer is not yet known, MLB Trade Rumors projected it to be just north of $23 million for a one-year contract.

That is getting harder to justify lately for Singer. In 30 starts, he is 6-15 with a 5.67 ERA and is the first Reds pitcher to lose 15 games since Luis Castillo (16) in 2021.

Over his last three starts, Singer has a 15.32 ERA over 12 1/3 innings with 21 hits and 15 walks.

"I think that’s the biggest thing, try to figure out a way to have some command and put the ball where you want to and just keep working," Singer said. "We’re doing stuff during the week, trying to figure stuff out. [Assistant pitching coach Matt] Tracy is trying to help me as much as he can and we work on those things and we’ve had good weeks. It’s just not really carrying over to the games.”

What made the qualifying offer once seem more viable for Cincinnati was as much about intangibles as numbers. Since he was acquired from the Royals for Jonathan India after 2024, Singer is the only Reds pitcher to not miss a start because of an injury the past two seasons. He's worked 150 or more innings each of the last five seasons and is one of only six Major League pitchers to make 30 or more starts each of the last three.

Especially this season, the 30-year-old Singer pitched through adversity that included a blister on his throwing hand coming out of Spring Training, a bruised shin from a comebacker and most recently, sore ribs from landing hard while fielding a ball on Aug. 25 at San Francisco. Singer said it wasn't an issue behind his performances.

The Reds’ front office has viewed Singer's willingness to always take the ball as a positive example for their young starters. Much like Nick Martinez the previous two seasons, Singer became a trusted mentor – especially to the All-Star Burns. Martinez was given a $21.05 qualifying offer after the '24 season and despite not being an obvious choice to get one, was valuable in both rotation and bullpen roles and considered a huge leadership presence for the team as it earned the NL Wild Card spot.

A free agent last offseason, Martinez signed with the Rays and became a first-time All-Star in 2026.

Another issue surfaced in the loss when catcher Tyler Stephenson had to leave with leg cramps. Amid temperatures in the 90s with high humidity, Stephenson was looked at during the top of the seventh inning but remained in the game. He hit a ball to the right-center-field wall in the bottom of the seventh but couldn't run and had to stop at first base. Will Banfield replaced him.

"They gave him the ol’ pickle juice, but it didn’t quite [work]," Francona said. "He was having trouble, you could tell.”