Cincinnati Reds: 3 things Nick Krall must do first in his new role

Nick Krall will have a full plate this winter as the new head of Reds front office.

Nick Krall received a promotion, sort of, on Monday. The Cincinnati Reds Vice President and General Manager will maintain his title, but be given more responsibility. Krall will now report directly to owner Bob Castellini and will run the baseball operations-side of the club going forward. Up until a couple weeks ago, Krall reported to the recently departed Dick Williams.

Is Krall the right man for the job? That remains to be seen. Obviously Castellini thinks so. Krall has been with the organization since 2003 and was hired to oversea the team’s scouting department. Krall has steadily rose up through the ranks of the Reds front office, was promoted to Senior Director of Baseball Operations back in 2013, and finally GM back in 2018.

Krall has been integral over the past few seasons in getting deals done behind the scenes. The 42-year-old has been instrumental in the trades that brought Yasiel Puig, Sonny Gray and Trevor Bauer to Cincinnati. He was also very involved in the signings of Mike Moustakas, Nick Castellanos and Shogo Akiyama this past offseason.

Now, as the head of the Reds baseball operations, Nick Krall will be out in front. This offseason represents a chance for Cincinnati to enhance their roster following the dismal showing in 2020 which saw the team make a first-round exit at the hands of the Atlanta Braves. What are the top three priorities for Krall this winter?

1. Decide on a starting shortstop for the Reds heading into 2021.

While most fans would disagree and claim that signing Trevor Bauer should be the team’s No. 1 priority this offseason, I tend to disagree. Bauer was phenomenal this past season and should win the NL Cy Young Award. However, that type of performance, while impressive, should not force the Reds into a corner and, in turn, a bidding war for Bauer’s services in 2021. More on that later.

If there was one position that looks like a giant blackhole heading into next season, it’s not the starting pitching, it’s shortstop. The Cincinnati Reds tried many different players at the position in 2020, even José García, who proved that he needs more seasoning at the minor-league level in order to be a threat versus major league pitching.

Looking at the free agent market, there’s a few options. Didi Gregorius probably tops the list and there’s a chance that José Iglesias could be available if his team option is not picked up. There are two trade options as well. With Francisco Lindor and Trevor Story entering the final year of their contracts, both could be on the move this winter.

As far as in-house candidates are concerned, you’d have to look at Kyle Farmer. The former Georgia Bulldog could be a nice stopgap at the position until García is ready for the big stage, but the versatile infielder provides little in terms of offense.

Figuring out who will man the shortstop position heading into next season should be atop Nick Krall’s list. There are many options available, however, it’s unclear which route the Reds will choose to take.

3. Add depth to the Reds depleted farm system.

The Cincinnati Reds rank as the 24th-best farm system in the major leagues according to MLB.com. That cannot continue. It’s likely that José García and Tyler Stephenson become permanent fixtures in the Reds lineup by the middle of next season and Nick Lodolo could join them as well. That will weaken Cincinnati’s farm system even more.

After trading away highly-regarded prospects like Taylor Trammell, Jeter Downs, Josiah Gray, Shed Long, Stuart Fairchild and Packy Naughton, Cincinnati’s cupboard is bare. The additions of youngsters like Austin Hendrick, Rece Hinds and Tyler Callihan will help the Reds standing among other clubs once they start to see more time on the field. All three are 20-years old or younger.

There’s two ways to replenish the farm system; evaluate and draft good talent or evaluate another team’s talent and swing a trade. The past few drafts have been kind to the Cincinnati Reds. Four of their Top 10 players, according to MLB Pipeline, were taken in the past two drafts.

Former first-round pick Hunter Greene was on hand at Prasco Park this past season, as were fellow first-rounders Nick Lodolo and Jonathan India. The Reds 2020 draft pick, Austin Hendrick, is ranked as the third best player in the Cincinnati farm system, but we’re likely looking at another three to four seasons before he, along with Tyler Callihan and Rece Hinds are major league-ready.

A trade is the more expedient way to replenish the farm system, and it’s certainly an avenue that Nick Krall could explore, though I don’t think it’s very likely. The Reds have played their hand, adding free agents and making trades over the past few years with eyes towards this window of time.

It’s hard to see the Cincinnati Reds making a deal that would subtract from their current roster, but it’s possible. The Reds are a smaller market franchise that cannot afford to get sucked into poor spending habits and forgo the future. I can’t foresee the front office making many earth-shattering trades this offseason that would further erode their farm system.