Brady

Singer

Singer was down 1-1.5 mph from last year today, and he wound up getting just one missed swing on the 42 pitches he threw. He was better in his spring debut, when he struck out four against the Dodgers. It just wasn’t quite there today.

Singer looked sharp in his Cincinnati debut, throwing 22 of 33 pitches for strikes in addition to striking out four of the first five batters he faced against a loaded Los Angeles lineup that featured a handful of their big-league regulars. The 28-year-old righty was shipped to the Reds back in late November as part of the Jonathan India trade. While the move to Great American Ball Park isn’t necessarily a positive development from a run-prevention standpoint, he should remain a viable streaming option for fantasy managers in deeper mixed leagues.

Singer made $4.875 million last season with the Royals, and he has one more year of arbitration eligibility in 2026. The Reds are hoping he’ll be an above average starter after acquiring him in return for Jonathan India and Joey Weimer. He’s thus far posted ERA+s of 115, 93, 127, 81 and 114 in five big-league seasons, so there’s not really much telling which pitcher the Reds will get.

The Reds get a major upgrade to their rotation and really didn’t have to give up a whole lot to do so, dealing from their surplus on infielders and tacking on Joey Wiemer to get the deal finished. Singer, 28, blossomed into a workhorse for the Royals in 2024, making all 32 of his starts and posting a 3.71 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and a 170/54 K/BB ratio across 179 2/3 innings. He has struggled with the home run ball at times — serving up 20 or more long balls in each of the past two seasons — and that issue could be exacerbated with the move to a hitter-friendly ballpark in Cincinnati. Make no mistake though, this is a great move for the Reds.

Both players have three years of control left. The Royals could use India as a part-time second baseman alongside Michael Massey and have him DH much of the rest of the time. He’d definitely be helpful in the leadoff spot, but Singer would be a significant price to pay over just going and signing a free agent bat for help.

“He’ll be a factor out there,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. We know what he brings to the table with his ability to get righties out, his ability to compete at a really high level. … We would expect his velo to go up.” Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, and Michael Wacha — in that order — will be the starters for KC in the series against the Tigers or Astros.

On most nights, Singer would have pitched well enough to win. However, he went up against Max Fried in this one who was a man on a mission. Nevertheless, Singer forced at least four swings-and-misses on each of his sinker, slider, and sweeper as he mostly held the Braves at bay. His only mistake came on an 0-2 sweeper against Sean Murphy that caught a little too much of the plate and wound up in the left field seats. Singer will be on the Royals’ playoff roster as their fourth starter, should he be needed.

Singer gave up seven hits, walked one and struck out six. He allowed four home runs to the Giants, which is the most he’s allowed this season. Singer hadn’t even allowed three home runs in any start this season prior to Saturday. His ERA since the beginning of August is 5.92, a span of nine starts. He’s seen his season ERA go from 2.88 to 3.73 in that time. The 28-year-old right-hander will look to end the season on a high note against the Braves on the road next weekend.

Singer really struggled with his control, as he issues four free passes and walked in a run in the fifth. The right-hander had some solid moments when he was throwing strikes, but not enough in a disappointing effort for the 28-year-old. He’s allowed seven runs over his last two starts in 10 innings, and it’s seen his ERA increase from 3.35 to 3.53 in the process.

Singer gave up five hits, walked three and struck out three. Singer has allowed three runs or less in four of his last five starts and has a 3.90 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 27 2/3 innings in that time. He’s somewhat struggled in the second half after posting a 3.12 ERA in his first 16 starts. Singer is 9-10 with a 3.42 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 153 strikeouts in 163 1/3 innings on the year. The 28-year-old right-hander is set to face the Pirates on the road this weekend.