The Reds have reportedly let other teams know they’re willing to move players on expiring contracts before the trade deadline, and that part makes sense. Cincinnati is sitting 16½ games back of the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers and is also behind six other clubs in the race for the final NL Wild Card spot. At this point, selling is the logical lane.
The question is whether that approach goes far enough.
If the Reds are only shopping rentals like Brady Singer, Tyler Stephenson, Eugenio Suárez, Nathaniel Lowe, and a handful of relievers, the return probably won’t be the kind that changes the organization’s future. None of those names is likely to bring back a top-100 prospect. In a market where sellers can usually get aggressive, that feels conservative.
That’s why the bigger swing is at least worth discussing. Players such as JJ Bleday, Spencer Steer, and even Hunter Greene could bring back far more than the usual deadline haul.
The short-term roster would take a hit, no doubt. But the payoff could be much larger if the Reds are trying to build something that matters in 2027 and beyond.
Still, there’s a catch: Nick Krall.
Krall’s run as the Reds’ top decision maker since 2020 has produced a long list of moves, including Gavin Lux, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Jeimer Candelario, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Noelvi Marte, Santiago Espinal, Frankie Montas, Kevin Newman, Austin Hays, and Zack Littell. The first three names alone are enough to raise eyebrows.
The Lux deal cost Cincinnati Mike Sirota and Charles Davalan, both top-100 prospects in the Los Angeles Dodgers system. The Hayes trade sent Sammy Stafura away, and Stafura is now hitting .317/.380/.652 with the High-A affiliate for the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.
Then there’s Candelario, one of the clearest misfires. Krall gave him a three-year, $45 million contract, and Candelario is now at Triple-A Salt Lake with the Los Angeles Angels while the Reds are still paying $16 million. Cincinnati designated him for assignment in 2025, but the club remains responsible for the rest of his 2026 salary.
That history is why a major deadline teardown should make the Reds uneasy if Krall is the one steering it. He has already been handed that kind of control, and the results haven’t inspired confidence. If Cincinnati is going to reshape the roster and reset the timeline, that job should fall to Krall’s eventual replacement, ideally after the 2026 season ends.
To be fair, not everything Krall has done has gone sideways. Spencer Steer came back in the Tyler Mahle deal, and flipping former Rookie of the Year Johnathan India for Brady Singer should be considered a win. He has also landed useful free agents such as Brandon Drury in 2022 and Nathaniel Lowe this past offseason.
Even so, the broad picture is hard to ignore. Most of the Reds’ success has come despite Krall’s choices, not because of them.
Whether Cincinnati needs a full roster overhaul is another debate. If it does, though, Krall should not be the one in charge.
In Other News...
Christian Encarnacion-Strand Is Making Reds Fans Revisit A Painful Decision
The Reds offense has been frustrating enough on its own, but Christian Encarnacion-Strands recent surge in Baltimore has only sharpened the sting of what Cincinnati gave up. The former Reds slugger has looked far more dangerous since getting called up by the Orioles, flashing the kind of power that once made him such an intriguing piece in the organization, while the Reds continue to search for more consistency at the plate as their playoff hopes fade.
Encarnacion-Strand says the difference is simple: hes finally healthy and able to be the athlete he can be. For Cincinnati, the timing is what makes it hard to ignore. The club can point to its home run total as proof there is some thump in the lineup, but the overall production has been too uneven, and watching a familiar bat catch fire elsewhere naturally invites second-guessing about a decision that already looked painful. [Read more 🡒]
Reds May Be Facing The Matt McLain Decision Fans Dread
The shortstop market is already getting tight in a hurry, and that matters for a Reds club that has its own infield questions to sort through. Houston has no interest in moving Jeremy Pea, the Angels are expected to keep Zach Neto, and those decisions only sharpen the backdrop for Cincinnati as it weighs what to do with Matt McLain, who is working back on a rehab assignment and trying to reestablish himself after a rough season.
McLains name has surfaced as a possible change-of-scenery candidate, but the bigger issue for the Reds is whether they even want to entertain that kind of conversation while he is nearing a return. He is still young, still under control, and still has time to make his case in Cincinnati, which is why any hint of movement around him would say as much about the clubs roster calculus as it would about his uneven year. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Hit With Another Setback As Wild Card Pressure Builds
Game one between the Reds and Guardians never even got rolling on time, with thunderstorms in the Cincinnati area forcing a delay before the clubs could get onto the field. It was the latest bit of inconvenience for a team already trying to keep its footing in a crowded Wild Card race, and the timing only sharpened the sense that every day on the schedule seems to come with another hurdle.
Cincinnati is also navigating a stretch of roster uncertainty, with Spencer Steer and Nick Lodolo both on the injured list as the deadline approaches. Tyler Stephenson has helped steady things with his recent play behind the plate, but the bigger-picture conversation around the club is getting louder, and the Reds may have to balance the pull of a postseason chase against the possibility of selling if the front office decides the path forward is more complicated than the standings suggest. [Read more 🡒]