Martinez accepted the QO and can’t be traded until June 15th

True but this is all hypothetical anyway. I’m also pretty sure it acts like a no-trade clause. If a club offered Martinez, let’s say, a million to waive it, I doubt that the league or union is going to put up a beef. But off the top of my head, I can’t think of someone in this circumstance who has been traded before the June 15th date.

Not sure why this trade was thought up. Reds made a QO because he is a very good pitcher, they need him and they were willing to risk paying him $21M. Why would they turn around and trade him for nothing?

A better question, redfanorbust, is why a "very good" pitcher would accept a 1-year deal in a market where pitchers like Max Fried, who isn't Sandy Koufax, is rumored to be getting a 150+ million dollar contract. The answer is because Martinez is okay, not great, and 34 years old, and he and his agent know it. Last year was his best year in the majors, by far. I bet the Reds were hoping he would decline the offer and sign with someone else, so they could get draft pick compensation. By your pseudonym, I assume you know that Cincy does not have deep pockets. Their payroll for 2024 was under $120 mil. I don't think sinking 1/6 of their annual budget for a marginal, aging pitcher is a smart move. Martinez makes more sense for the Cubs than the Reds, imo, and Mervis and Killian have value. They both have kicked butt at AAA but have never been given an opportunity to succeed in Chicago. Hopefully, this explains the trade proposal, so you can understand it.