Johnny Cueto said he was 'real...

Seven months before the Cincinnati Reds’ front office didn’t address the biggest need on the Reds’ roster and trade for a veteran starting pitcher at the trade deadline, the Reds were in talks with a free agent starting pitcher who fit the specific skill set that they were looking for.

One of the Reds’ biggest priorities in the offseason was adding a veteran starting pitcher. In January, the Reds considered bringing former All-Star Johnny Cueto back to Cincinnati.

Was he close to signing with the Reds?

“Yeah, I was really close,” Cueto said on Tuesday from the visitor’s dugout at Great American Ball Park. “My agent told me they were interested but I never heard of any specific offers.”

He signed with the Miami Marlins, who gave him his best offer on the market at $8.5 million guaranteed for the 2023 season. Cueto missed nearly the entire first half of the season due to right biceps tightness. But the 37-year-old has pitched at least six innings in each of his last three starts heading into his return to Great American Ball Park on Wednesday against the Reds.

All year, the Reds have been looking for a veteran starting pitcher who could mentor the young pitchers in the Reds’ rotation, bring some consistency and pitch deep into games. At the trade deadline, the front office determined that the Reds would have to give up too much to add a starting pitcher who would have just been a rental.

The Philadelphia Phillies gave up an impact prospect in an aggressive move to trade for starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen, the Baltimore Orioles took the risk of adding an inconsistent starter in Jack Flaherty, the Los Angeles Dodgers were able to absorb the big salary of starter Lance Lynn and the Los Angeles Angels and Texas Rangers both made very aggressive deals for Lucas Giolito and Jordan Montgomery.

The Reds weren't willing to give up their top prospects for a middle of the rotation starter on a one-year deal. But back in the offseason, when Cueto was a free agent who had just posted a 3.35 ERA in 2022, they wouldn’t have had to give up anything except payroll flexibility.

Back in the offseason, when the Reds were looking for a veteran starter, the front office’s options were limited due to the team’s low payroll. A few days after Cueto signed with Miami, the Reds went on to sign Luke Weaver to be their veteran starting pitcher. Weaver, who only made one start in the entire 2022 season, signed a one-year deal for $2 million.

Weaver had one of his better starts of the season on Tuesday, but he still has a 6.75 ERA this year.

The Reds are counting on Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo returning from the injured list in August. But the group is currently in a difficult position as the Reds compete to stay in the playoff race.

On Sunday, Reds prospect Lyon Richardson made his MLB debut. Even though he’s on a strict innings limit and couldn’t give the Reds more than three-or-four innings and even though the Reds desperately needed a long start to preserve their taxed bullpen, Richardson was viewed as the Reds’ best option to make that start.

Now, until Greene and Lodolo return, the Reds can use their off days and go with a four-man rotation. They can also move long reliever Brett Kennedy, who started this season in an independent league, into the rotation.

There was a big class of veteran starting pitchers who were on the free agent market during the offseason who landed with new teams on one-year deals. Starting pitchers Kyle Gibson, Wade Miley, Rich Hill, Michael Wacha, Michael Lorenzen, Ryan Yarbrough and Cueto have all made an impact this season across MLB.

Weaver was the only pitcher who the Reds signed to a Major League contract heading into the 2023 season. The Reds currently don’t have a fifth starter on the active roster, and the root cause goes all the way back to not adding another starting pitcher during the offseason.