3 disastrous Nick Krall deals that may have sealed his fate if Reds' season slips away

Nick Krall took over as the head of baseball operations for the Cincinnati Reds in the fall of 2020 after longtime executive Dick Williams resigned. Krall remained the team's vice president and general manager for three seasons, and was then promoted to president of baseball operations in 2023. In short, Krall's been at the controls for the better part of five-plus seasons.

I think every Reds fan would give Krall a pass for the team's teardown following the 2021 season. The 2022 campaign was an utter disaster, but ownership's desire to hit the reset button and limit spending had a lot to do with Cincinnati's 62-100 record that year.

But ever since the 2023 season, the Reds have been what some might call a contender. Elly De La Cruz broke onto the scene that year, and Cincinnati was lauded for their rotation depth led by former first-round picks Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo.

Over the past three-plus seasons, however, Cincinnati has failed to live up to that "contender" label. The Reds snuck into the playoffs last season, and despite their postseason aspirations this year, Terry Francona's club is barely treading water. Cincinnati is in danger of falling out of the playoff chase altogether, and a losing season may well result in Krall's dismissal.

The Reds ownership group hasn't outright said Krall is on the hot seat, but given the extra money they spent this past winter, coupled with the elite-level talent and Hall of Fame-caliber manager, it would be hard to not look at this season as a failure if Cincinnati misses the playoffs. If Krall is indeed the fall guy later this year, these three deals will be held against him.

Reds sign 3B Jeimer Candelario to three-year, $45 million deal

The Reds signed Jeimer Candelario to a three-year deal following the 2023 season. After parting ways with the face of the franchise, Joey Votto, Krall was looking for a new veteran voice to help mentor the likes of De La Cruz, Matt McLain, and Noelvi Marte.

Turning to Candelario, however, proved to be a massive mistake. He lasted just over a year with the organization, and, in fact, the Reds are still paying his salary for this season. In total, he appeared in just 134 games for the Reds and hit .207/.265/.394 with 22 home runs and a 76 wRC+.

That type of pathetic production from a high-dollar free-agent addition like Candelario is the stuff that doesn't sit well with penny-pinching owners like the Castellini's. If it weren't for Williams' deal with Mike Moustakas back in 2020, Krall would be on the hook for the worst free-agent contract in team history.

Reds trade for Gold Glove Award-winning 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes

The Reds have made some boneheaded trades in the past, but few are likely to top Cincinnati's inter-division deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates last summer that brought Ke'Bryan Hayes to the Queen City.

Strangely, the deal for Hayes isn't so much about what the Reds gave up in exchange for the Gold Glover, but it's what they took on in addition. The Pirates were able to offload the entirety of Hayes' remaining contract, which at this moment runs through 2029 and is worth nearly $8 million per season.

If Hayes were just an average hitter, his glove would bring more than enough value to compensate for a mediocre bat. But Hayes is downright awful at the dish. He was hitting just .142/.195/.225 before landing on the IL earlier this year; which brings about another point.

Not only is Hayes' bat known to be below-average, but he also has a chronic injury history. Hayes is on the IL right now with a bulging disc in his back, and the injury is likely to plague him for the remainder of his career. This was an all-time whiff on the part of Krall, and if Cincinnati falls short of their goals this season, wasting $7 million on a player with an 11 wRC+ will be a major talking point.

Reds trade OF prospect Mike Sirota to Dodgers for 2B Gavin Lux

Before last season, the Reds dealt outfield prospect Mike Sirota and a Competitive Balance draft pick to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for Gavin Lux. The former first-rounder was being squeezed out in LA, and Dodgers were looking to get something of value for him. Cincinnati had just jettisoned Jonathan India and were looking to increase their infield depth with a left-handed bat.

But hindsight is always 20/20. Lux flopped with the Reds last season and has since been traded to the Tampa Bay Rays. Sirota has become one of the Dodgers top prospect and is hitting .339/.488/.602 in LA's minor league system this year. Los Angeles used Cincinnati's Comp Pick to nab Charles Davalan in last year's draft, and he's recognized as one of the Dodgers' top-10 prospects.

This move is admittedly not as egregious as Krall's other blunders, but it's near the top. Furthermore, if Sirota or Davalan become stars in this league, all of the sudden the deal goes from bad to worse. A team like the Reds has to rely on drafting and developing top-tier talent, not trading it away for a would-be utility player. This has the chance to be Krall's second-worst trade — behind the deal for Hayes, of course.

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