Breaking News: Reds Face Decision on Free Agent Starter Acquired at Deadline Deal
In a bit of a surprising midseason move, the Cincinnati Reds brought in right-handed starter Zack Littell from the Tampa Bay Rays last July in a three-team trade also involving the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Reds only departed with a minor league arm in Brian Van Belle.
The move came as a bit of a surprise due to the Reds already having a plethora of starting pitching. It seemed like their biggest need at the deadline was offensive help, but they nabbed Littell, who’s had consistent production and can eat innings despite his home run troubles.
He was a bit underwhelming in his second-half stint in Cincinnati. As he enters free agency, the question arises: Should the Reds bring him back on a cheap contract, and what role should he take on if they do?
Reds Deadline Acquisition Zack Littell Now a Free Agent
Littell’s Overall Stats
Overall in 2025, it was another solid showing for the 30-year-old Littell, as he posted a 3.81 ERA in 186 2/3 innings. He was healthy all year, making 32 starts and eating up a good amount of innings with an above-average ERA. Due to his workload, he actually accumulated 3.2 bWAR, which is the highest of his eight-year career
His philosophy of pounding the zone with a contract-oriented approach paid off again as he maintained a BB% of just 4.2%, in the 98th percentile league-wide.
Littell’s Performance in Cincinnati
Despite the overall season numbers looking good, it was a tale of two seasons for Littell. He posted a 3.58 ERA in 22 starts (133 1/3 innings) for the Rays, but posted a 4.39 ERA in 10 starts (53 1/3 innings) for the Reds.
He has always been susceptible to the long ball, but 2025 was especially ugly as he allowed 36 home runs, with 10 in 10 starts with Cincinnati. Oddly enough, he was allowing free passes at a higher rate in Cincinnati, as he walked 11 in 53 1/3 innings as a Red but 21 in a much higher 133 1/3 innings in Tampa Bay. While it was just a 1.1% jump from 3.9 BB% to 5.0 BB%, it was still another aspect of his game that he did not perform as well in during the second half of the year. With that being said, a 5.0 BB% is still elite, just not as elite as it was in the first half.
Littell’s Role and Contract
In his Reds tenure, Littell was a back-end starter who ate innings and pitched at an above league average level with a 105 ERA+. Looking at his last two seasons, which were his first two as a full-time starter, Littell has shown the ability to eat innings, with 156 1/3 in 2024 and 186 2/3 in 2025. This will be valuable to any team, as starting pitching depth is very important, especially during the dog days of summer. Finding a guy who you can pencil in for around 30 starts and anywhere from 150 ~ 180 innings is a luxury that not all teams have, but all teams want. On top of that, his 110 ERA+ in 2024 and 111 ERA+ in 2025 show that not only can he eat innings, but he can pitch at an above league-average level as well.
With his age and peak being essentially capped as a back-end guy, he will likely garner some interest that comes out to about 2 years, $24 million. At 30, teams won’t like to offer him anything more than two to three years, but he will likely want a deal longer than one year.
With so many pitching prospects waiting in the wings for the Reds, Zack Littell’s presence and production seem easily replaceable, and at a much lower price as well. The Reds do not need to bring him back, but they sure are thankful for his services down the stretch as the rotation took a bit of a hit due to injuries.
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