The Reds’ decision to keep Nick Krall around didn’t land well with a lot of fans, but the move does line up with what the club is staring at this offseason. Terry Francona is also expected back in 2027, though the manager’s case is stronger than Krall’s. Even so, when a team coughs up a 20-11 start, somebody has to wear it.
That doesn’t mean Krall is getting a free pass. He’s still the biggest problem in the building, just not the only one. And the two people who may be in the most danger now are director of hitting and major league hitting coach Chris Valaika and pitching coach Derek Johnson.
Valaika’s seat should be scorching. The Reds have already hit an even 200 home runs, which ranks third in the league and marks a clear jump from last season’s 167, a number that sat 21st.
But the power hasn’t translated into enough production. Cincinnati has fallen from 14th in runs scored last year, when it put up 716, to 25th this season with 625 so far in 2026.
The biggest issue has been the lack of situational hitting. That was supposed to be a central part of Valaika’s job description after he came aboard before last season, and the fact that the Reds have been so poor in that area reads like a direct hit to his leadership.
Johnson’s situation is different, but the case for change is just as strong. He’s been on leave since May, and the Reds have spent the year looking like a staff in need of a new voice.
Johnson has led the pitching group since the start of the 2019 season, and there has been some good mixed in with the bad. But the clearest red flag is Nick Lodolo, the blister problems, and the breaking ball grip.
Lodolo has dealt with major blister issues over the years because of that grip, and it took until his second IL stint for blisters in 2026 before he finally changed it. Pitchers can be stubborn, sure, but Johnson going this long without finding a way to push Lodolo toward something different looks like a major miss.
The numbers around the staff back that up. Reds starters own a 4.93 ERA, which ranks 27th, and that’s a brutal contrast to where the group once seemed headed. The bullpen hasn’t held up either, posting a 4.82 ERA that ranks 25th.
The roster is going to need a serious makeover, and plenty of new faces are coming. Whether Krall should be the one overseeing that is a fair question. Another route, though, is to change the people teaching the players already in place - and the ones who are about to arrive.
In Other News...
Barry Larkin Just Said What Frustrated Reds Fans Keep Feeling
Barry Larkin did not sugarcoat where the Reds stand right now. The Hall of Famer said Cincinnati is well behind the better teams headed toward the postseason, a blunt assessment that lands with extra weight for a fan base that has spent most of the last three decades waiting for meaningful October baseball. The Reds have missed the postseason in 26 of the last 31 seasons, and the drought has stretched so long that their last postseason win came in 2012.
For a club that has been trying to climb back into relevance, that kind of gap only sharpens the pressure on the people running it. There is already speculation that Nick Krall could return in an executive role, even though the teams postseason results under his tenure have been limited, and Larkins remarks only add to the sense that something has to give before the franchise can finally move from hopeful to dependable. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Roster Shakeup Just Put Two Cincinnati Futures In Doubt
Chase Burns breakout rookie season hit an abrupt stop when the Reds placed the All-Star pitcher on the 15-day injured list with a right groin strain, officially ending his year. In the same roster move, Cincinnati brought up Carson Spiers from Triple-A Louisville and cleared a place for him on the 40-man roster by designating outfielder TJ Friedl for assignment, a procedural step that can carry major consequences even when it is done to solve an immediate pitching need.
For the Reds, the timing makes the whole transaction feel bigger than a simple injury replacement. Burns was part of the clubs present and future on the mound, and Spiers now gets a chance to step into that opening, but Friedls status is the one to watch next because the assignment gives other clubs a chance to claim him off waivers. What looked like a straightforward answer to one roster problem may end up creating another question about how much of Cincinnatis future core is actually staying put. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Fans Have A New Prospect To Watch Closely
The Reds have spent much of the season trying to rediscover the energy that carried them through a strong start, but there have still been enough bright spots to keep the focus on what comes next. Elly De La Cruz has continued to give the lineup a jolt, and Sal Stewart has added to the sense that the organization still has impact talent on the way.
One name now drawing more attention is Alfredo Duno, whose all-around game has started to stand out in a system that badly needs more certainty. The praise for his offense and defense is starting to sound less like long-range optimism and more like a real development track, with some in the organization seeing him as a possible contender for a major league starting job by 2028. [Read more 🡒]