The Reds’ season has drifted far enough off course that one of the bigger questions in Cincinnati now sits above the roster itself: what happens with Nick Krall?
The club was supposed to build on last year’s postseason run and make another push in 2026. Instead, the Reds are 67-73, six games under .500, even after winning five of their last seven. That kind of disappointment has put Krall squarely in the crosshairs, at least in the view of MLB insider Robert Murray.
“After the trade deadline, there was plenty of criticism for what the Cincinnati Reds didn’t do,” Murray wrote. “Tyler Stephenson and Eugenio Suarez were obvious trade candidates … and both players stayed, with other organizations stunned by the high asking price for Stephenson, a free-agent-to-be in the winter.
“Soon after, the Reds placed Suarez on waivers, and he went unclaimed. It would indicate there was little market for him at the deadline. Still, the Reds had the most confusing deadline of any team, and Krall failed to take advantage of a market that featured plenty of teams looking for catching reinforcements, with the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox among teams who tried hard to upgrade behind the plate.”
Murray included Krall on a long list of executives and managers he believes are under pressure, alongside Joe Espada, Don Mattingly, Torey Lovullo, Brian Cashman, Aaron Boone, Tony Vitello, Kurt Suzuki, David Stearns and Dan Wilson.
And for Reds fans, the frustration goes beyond front-office talk. The losing has dragged on long enough that the demand is simple: stop spinning wheels and build a team that can actually win in October.
Amid all that noise, Sal Stewart has given Cincinnati something to hang onto.
September and October are usually when rookies start to fade under the weight of a 162-game season. Stewart hasn’t followed that script. The 22-year-old first baseman just won his second National League Rookie of the Month Award, making him the first Red ever to win the honor more than once.
“Stewart, 22, may well take home NL Rookie of the Year honors at season’s end,” MLB.com's Max Ralph wrote. “That’s because he’s leading the big leagues with 105 RBIs and has also swatted a team-high 31 long balls.
He hit eight of those homers in August with 21 RBIs, slashing .304/.349/.530. He also won the award in April.”
For a team searching for answers, Stewart has become one of the few constants. And at 22, he’s doing it on a scale few saw coming.
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Reds Seem Ready To Add A Speed Threat But One Hurdle Remains
Carlos Jorge appears to be on the cusp of joining the Reds, with a broadcaster reporting the defensive-minded outfielder has been called up even though the move has not been made official. A player valued for his speed and glove, Jorge has built a reputation in the minors as a threat once he gets on base, giving Cincinnati the kind of athletic depth teams often chase as the season wears on.
The fit is easy to understand for a Reds club that can use another rangy outfielder and a little more pop in the running game. The only thing standing between Jorge and an actual debut with the big-league club is the paperwork of roster management, since Cincinnati would need to clear space on both the 40-man and 26-man rosters before the move can become official. [Read more 🡒]
Reds May Already Have A New Infielder Fans Need To Watch
The Reds have spent plenty of time lately getting good looks at the next wave of talent, and the infield picture is starting to look especially interesting. Elly De La Cruz remains the headliner, while Sal Stewart and Chase Burns have also added to the sense that Cincinnatis pipeline is trending in the right direction. In that mix, 2026 draft pick Justin Lebron is emerging as a name worth filing away, especially after what he has shown at High-A.
Lebrons offensive production has been encouraging enough to put him on the radar as one of the systems better young infield options, even if the evaluation is not perfectly clean yet. The swing still draws some questions, and the strikeout rate is part of the conversation, but the raw appeal is obvious enough that the Reds are watching closely. For a club trying to build depth around its young core, a developing shortstop with this kind of upside is exactly the sort of player that can become a bigger part of the picture faster than expected. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Suddenly Have A September Audition Worth Watching Closely
September has already given the Reds a couple of fresh looks, and both Brandon Williamson and Juan Brito have made the most of the opportunity in different ways. Williamson returned to the rotation for his first start since April and gave Cincinnati a much-needed stretch of stability, working 5 innings while allowing three runs and striking out seven against the Padres. Brito, meanwhile, has been getting in-game reps at second base because of other absences, which has opened a cleaner path to evaluate what he might bring beyond a brief cameo.
Britos week stood out even more when he launched his first major league home run and added a stolen base in the same series, the kind of all-around flash that can make a late-season look matter more than the calendar suggests. For a club thinking ahead as much as it is trying to finish strong, these are the auditions worth monitoring, especially with Brito potentially in the conversation for the offseason roster and Williamson trying to show he can still be part of the pitching picture. [Read more 🡒]