Agreed....it's the Reds best bet to field 5 good to solid starting pitchers each night is when we're at our best. (Cueto, Arroyo, Bailey, Latos and Leake).
For 2022...
- Castillo, Mahle are solid and fine
- Can Gray start 30 games going forward? If so, he's solid as they come
- Wade Miley....going forward is he more like the guy that last 2 months where he's been rocked or like the full year that has been solid
- Guiterriez...he was solid as heck until the last month...and he's been pretty bad. Which one is he for 2022?
I think it's reasonable to give one of those 5 starting spots to Lodolo/Greene (whomever earns it in spring training) and maybe you trade a Sonny Gray for shoring up CF/RF situation. Or you can use $$$ from not keeping Wade Miley to do the same in RF/CF. Guiterriez is hardest call to make as the league could be adjusting to him and does that make him not a good starter going forward (or he could just need experience to solidify himself). But in any scenario, if the Reds ponder trading Castillo or Mahle....there is zero chance a playoff run and you might as well burn down the rest of the roster if that that is you're route.