The Cincinnati Reds are absolutely not going to non-tender Nick Lodolo at season’s end. They just aren’t.
However, they are beginning to face a reality that consists of their former stud lefty being a guy who’s allowed 14 ER in 16.1 IP since returning from a recurring blister issue that caused him to dump perhaps his single best pitch in exchange for a different breaking pitch that simply hasn’t worked yet. They’re facing a reality of him earning an arbitration raise off his $4.73 million salary heading
into his final season of team control with his trade value at a nadir.
They’re facing a reality that suggests they are running out of time to find a way to get the most out of him in the quickest amount of time with a repertoire that even he has never gained experience with, and they’re going to get to do it for more money than they’re paying him right now.
In other words, the final four or five starts he gets during the 2026 are about as vital to the Reds from a knowledge-gaining perspective as there is on this current roster, especially with Brady Singer likely pitching his way out of even an outlandish Qualifying Offer stunt and Hunter Greene on the shelf for all of 2027. Do the Reds actually have anything close to the ~5 WAR pitcher from 2025 on their roster? Or are they going to be in need of yet another starting pitcher on the open market over the winter?
Yeesh.
Lodolo’s next chance at turning things around comes on Tuesday in Great American Ball Park against Randy Vasquez and the San Diego Padres. Nick will throw the game’s first pitch at 6:40 PM ET, and here’s how both clubs will line up to start:
