Johnny Cueto came so close to being traded that the Reds were warming up another pitcher to start the game Saturday.

As Cueto was preparing for his start, Reds pitcher Michael Lorenzen appeared and started getting loose as well.

“He was there in bullpen,” Cueto said, according to the Enquirer. “I told him, ‘What are you doing here?’ He said, ‘I’m going to pitch because you got traded.’ That happened 10 minutes before the game.”

But the trade never actually materialized, and Cueto shook off the distraction to pitch eight shutout innings in the Reds’ 5-2 win over Colorado.

Cueto was unhappy he heard about the trade that way, but given that it didn’t happen, I sort of understand the miscommunication. Lorenzen probably should have said, “Just in case a trade happens.”

The Kansas City Royals were reportedly on the verge of acquiring Cueto, but Fox Sports reported that the deal fell through because a Royals player who was to be included in the swap had a medical issue.

They may still make a deal.