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With Cincinnati Reds president of baseball operations and de facto general manager Nick Krall being in such hot water, I thought I’d take a look at some of the biggest deals he has made, whether trades or free-agent signings, since taking over the roster in October 2020 following Dick Williams’ resignation.
The Reds are 40-47 and in last place in the NL Central, 13.5 games behind the first-place Milwaukee Brewers. They are coming off an impressive 7-2 victory over the Brewers in which they jumped on stud starting pitcher Jacob Misiorowski, followed by a 3-0 loss to the Baltimore Orioles to open up a nine-game home stand before the All-Star break.
However, to many fans, it’s a foregone conclusion that Nick Krall will not return as the general manager next season. Let’s look at some of his biggest moves.
At the time, Noelvi Marte and Edwin Arroyo were both top-50 prospects in baseball, with Marte having a case to make his debut much sooner because he was 20 years old at the time of the transaction. He played his first game for the Reds just over a year later in August 2023. Edwin Arroyo was 18 at the time and didn’t make his debut until this past June.
Marte has been a disappointment for the Reds. He hasn’t been able to stick at third base and has really struggled at the plate with strikeouts. Marte also missed a lot of time due to an 80-game PED suspension. After making the roster this season, he was sent to Triple-A amid offensive struggles.
The jury is still out on Arroyo, who will likely fight Matt McLain for the full-time second-base spot into next spring training. He is hitting .257 with four runs batted in, and he hasn’t left the yard for the first time in his career yet despite really showing off his power with the Louisville Bats in Triple-A.
Levi Stoudt was designated for assignment after bouncing back and forth between Triple-A and the big league roster, while Andrew Moore was traded to the San Diego Padres for Connor Joe.
Castillo, meanwhile, posted a 3.50 ERA in 95 starts as one of the more consistent pitchers in Major League Baseball, signing a five-year, $108 million contract in Seattle.
Candelario signed the deal after being traded from the Nationals to the Cubs to end the 2023 season. After hitting 20 home runs with a .225 batting average in 2024, Candelario played just 22 games, hitting .113, before being released by the Reds. He is currently in the Los Angeles Angels’ minor league system.
This is one of Krall’s best moves since taking over the Reds’ roster. Encarnacion-Strand was a high-ceiling power hitter who had some great moments for the Reds but, like Marte, struggled at the plate. After being designated for assignment, he was traded to the Orioles for cash.
Spencer Steer, meanwhile, has been one of the Reds’ most consistent players over the last five seasons. He hasn’t been able to get back to his 2023 form, when he hit .271 in 156 games, but he’s been an important player who can plug and play all over the infield and at the corner outfield positions.
Steve Hajjar was the player to be named later in the trade that brought Will Benson to Cincinnati from Cleveland.
Jesse Winker’s career really fell off a cliff after the 2021 season. His offense struggled, and he couldn’t stay healthy. Eugenio Suárez, on the other hand, became one of the more consistent power hitters in the league, hitting 30-plus home runs in three of the next six seasons, and hit 13 home runs in 53 games before being injured in 2025.
Jake Fraley had a solid stint in Cincinnati but never became an impact player, battling injuries. Justin Dunn made seven starts in a Reds uniform, posting an ERA over 7, while Brandon Williamson has been a decent back-of-the-rotation left-handed starter.
Trading Sammy Stafura and Taylor Rogers for Ke'Bryan Hayes
Another all-time bad move. Hayes was brought in to shore up defense at the hot corner, but performed so badly at the plate that it became inexcusable to keep him in the lineup. He was placed on the IL earlier this season and will soon make a rehab start. It remains a question whether he will join the Reds' big league roster again this season.
Meanwhile, Sammy Stafura has 16 home runs in the minor leagues this season.
Trading starting pitcher Sonny Gray to the Minnesota Twins for Chase Petty
Gray has been great for all three of the Twins, Cardinals and Red Sox, while Petty is just now starting to make his mark with the Reds as a reliever. He was a first-round pick by the Twins out of high school and does not appear to be an option as a starter, although he is still just 23 years old.
Signing starting pitcher Nick Martinez
Martinez was a good signing for the Reds, posting a 3.10 ERA in 2024 and a 4.46 ERA in 2025. He is now with the Tampa Bay Rays and has a 2.66 ERA in more than 90 innings pitched over 16 starts.
Trading closer Raisel Iglesias to the Los Angeles Angels for Noé Ramírez
This was an all-time bad move. While Iglesias was struggling with the Reds at the time, he’s brought his career back to the point where he is one of the more dominant closers in baseball. Ramírez was released four months after being traded to Cincinnati.
Trading OF Tyler Naquin and RP Phillip Diehl for OF Hector Rodriguez and SP Jose Acuña
After a great year with the Reds in 2021, Tyler Naquin didn’t do much for either the Mets or White Sox, while Hector Rodriguez looks like one of the more talented players in the Reds’ minor league organization. Jose Acuña currently has a 3.54 ERA in 15 starts with the Chattanooga Lookouts and was just called up to the Louisville Bats on June 30.
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The Reds are 40-47 and in last place in the NL Central, 13.5 games behind the first-place Milwaukee Brewers. They are coming off an impressive 7-2 victory over the Brewers in which they jumped on stud starting pitcher Jacob Misiorowski, followed by a 3-0 loss to the Baltimore Orioles to open up a nine-game home stand before the All-Star break.
However, to many fans, it’s a foregone conclusion that Nick Krall will not return as the general manager next season. Let’s look at some of his biggest moves.
Trading Luis Castillo to the Mariners for Noelvi Marte, Edwin Arroyo, Andrew Moore and Levi Stoudt
At the time, Noelvi Marte and Edwin Arroyo were both top-50 prospects in baseball, with Marte having a case to make his debut much sooner because he was 20 years old at the time of the transaction. He played his first game for the Reds just over a year later in August 2023. Edwin Arroyo was 18 at the time and didn’t make his debut until this past June.
Marte has been a disappointment for the Reds. He hasn’t been able to stick at third base and has really struggled at the plate with strikeouts. Marte also missed a lot of time due to an 80-game PED suspension. After making the roster this season, he was sent to Triple-A amid offensive struggles.
The jury is still out on Arroyo, who will likely fight Matt McLain for the full-time second-base spot into next spring training. He is hitting .257 with four runs batted in, and he hasn’t left the yard for the first time in his career yet despite really showing off his power with the Louisville Bats in Triple-A.
Levi Stoudt was designated for assignment after bouncing back and forth between Triple-A and the big league roster, while Andrew Moore was traded to the San Diego Padres for Connor Joe.
Castillo, meanwhile, posted a 3.50 ERA in 95 starts as one of the more consistent pitchers in Major League Baseball, signing a five-year, $108 million contract in Seattle.
Signing Jeimer Candelario to a three-year, $45 million contract
Candelario signed the deal after being traded from the Nationals to the Cubs to end the 2023 season. After hitting 20 home runs with a .225 batting average in 2024, Candelario played just 22 games, hitting .113, before being released by the Reds. He is currently in the Los Angeles Angels’ minor league system.
Trading Tyler Mahle for Spencer Steer, Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Steve Hajjar
This is one of Krall’s best moves since taking over the Reds’ roster. Encarnacion-Strand was a high-ceiling power hitter who had some great moments for the Reds but, like Marte, struggled at the plate. After being designated for assignment, he was traded to the Orioles for cash.
Spencer Steer, meanwhile, has been one of the Reds’ most consistent players over the last five seasons. He hasn’t been able to get back to his 2023 form, when he hit .271 in 156 games, but he’s been an important player who can plug and play all over the infield and at the corner outfield positions.
Steve Hajjar was the player to be named later in the trade that brought Will Benson to Cincinnati from Cleveland.
Trading Eugenio Suárez and Jesse Winker for Justin Dunn, Jake Fraley and Brandon Williamson
Jesse Winker’s career really fell off a cliff after the 2021 season. His offense struggled, and he couldn’t stay healthy. Eugenio Suárez, on the other hand, became one of the more consistent power hitters in the league, hitting 30-plus home runs in three of the next six seasons, and hit 13 home runs in 53 games before being injured in 2025.
Jake Fraley had a solid stint in Cincinnati but never became an impact player, battling injuries. Justin Dunn made seven starts in a Reds uniform, posting an ERA over 7, while Brandon Williamson has been a decent back-of-the-rotation left-handed starter.
Trading Sammy Stafura and Taylor Rogers for Ke'Bryan Hayes
Another all-time bad move. Hayes was brought in to shore up defense at the hot corner, but performed so badly at the plate that it became inexcusable to keep him in the lineup. He was placed on the IL earlier this season and will soon make a rehab start. It remains a question whether he will join the Reds' big league roster again this season.
Meanwhile, Sammy Stafura has 16 home runs in the minor leagues this season.
Honorable mentions
Trading starting pitcher Sonny Gray to the Minnesota Twins for Chase Petty
Gray has been great for all three of the Twins, Cardinals and Red Sox, while Petty is just now starting to make his mark with the Reds as a reliever. He was a first-round pick by the Twins out of high school and does not appear to be an option as a starter, although he is still just 23 years old.
Signing starting pitcher Nick Martinez
Martinez was a good signing for the Reds, posting a 3.10 ERA in 2024 and a 4.46 ERA in 2025. He is now with the Tampa Bay Rays and has a 2.66 ERA in more than 90 innings pitched over 16 starts.
Trading closer Raisel Iglesias to the Los Angeles Angels for Noé Ramírez
This was an all-time bad move. While Iglesias was struggling with the Reds at the time, he’s brought his career back to the point where he is one of the more dominant closers in baseball. Ramírez was released four months after being traded to Cincinnati.
Trading OF Tyler Naquin and RP Phillip Diehl for OF Hector Rodriguez and SP Jose Acuña
After a great year with the Reds in 2021, Tyler Naquin didn’t do much for either the Mets or White Sox, while Hector Rodriguez looks like one of the more talented players in the Reds’ minor league organization. Jose Acuña currently has a 3.54 ERA in 15 starts with the Chattanooga Lookouts and was just called up to the Louisville Bats on June 30.
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