3 Reds trades that prove Nick Krall hasn't gotten everything wrong

As the Cincinnati Reds head into the 2026-27 offseason, it appears as though Nick Krall's job is safe (for now). Needless to say, the decision to retain the Reds president of baseball operations was met with little-to-no confidence from the Cincinnati faithful. A large majority of fans wanted to see Krall fired this winter, but the Reds ownership group decided to stay the course.

Recently it's been rumored that Bob Castellini previously prohibited several would-be trades Krall brought to his attention, and one has to wonder how many times the opportunity to bolster the team's big-league roster (or the farm system) has been vetoed.

Krall's track record is far from flawless — as a matter of fact, it's rather embarrassing. But he hasn't bungled every trade. There were at least a few times when Cincinnati's top decision-maker got it right. Sadly, we only came with three occasions when the Reds got the better end of the deal.

3 Reds trades Nick Krall actually got right

Reds acquire: Spencer Steer, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Steve Hajjar
Twins acquire: Tyler Mahle

Krall was busy at the 2022 MLB trade deadline. Cincinnati traded away six big leaguers and received nearly a dozen prospects in return. Luis Castillo was thought to bring the most in return, but the trade package Cincinnati received from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for Tyler Mahle has actually yielded better results.

Spencer Steer has become an indispensable member of the Reds roster. Coming into 2026, he had three straight seasons of 20-plus homers and 75-plus RBI. Unfortunately, a season-ending injury at the end of July prevented him from making it four in a row.

Christian Encarnacion-Strand was unceremoniously DFA'd earlier this year, and after joining the Baltimore Orioles, posted a .277/.325/.513 slash line with 11 home runs and 39 RBI. Steve Hajjar was part of the trade package that brought Will Benson to Cincinnati back in 2023, and the former second-round pick last appeared in the Cleveland Guardians organization in 2024.

Though Mahle has rebounded nicely, his tenure in Minnesota was defined by injuries. After the trade in 2022, the right-hander only appeared in nine games.

Reds acquire: Héctor Rodríguez, José Acuña
Mets acquire: Tyler Naquin, Phillip Diehl

It's difficult to call this a trade a win, but dumping Tyler Naquin and Phillip Diehl in exchange for two lottery tickets at the 2022 MLB trade deadline is exactly the type of move Cincinnati's front office should've made this past August. Naquin was going to be a free agent after the season, and Diehl was tracking toward being DFA'd.

In return, the Reds nabbed two teenage prospects with the potential to turn into Major League contributors. Though Acuña has yet to receive a call-up to the big leagues, Rodríguez made his MLB debut this past season.

Rodríguez has been described as a good bad-ball hitter — able to make contact with pitches that are outside the strike zone — and he flashed enough potential during his first couple of months in the big leagues to be considered part of the Reds' future heading into 2027. Diehl is out of baseball, and Naquin was last seen trying to transition into a pitcher, so this was a good trade for the Reds.

Reds acquire: Brock Burke
Rays acquire: Gavin Lux
Angels acquire: Josh Lowe

Hilariously, Krall's best trade may have come this past offseason. The Reds were part of a three-team trade with the Los Angeles Angeles and Tampa Bay Rays, and Cincinnati easily acquired the best player of the bunch.

The Reds landed Brock Burke from the Halos after sending Jake Fraley to the Rays. Tampa Bay shipped outfielder Josh Lowe out to Anaheim to seal the deal. Fraley missed most of the season due to injury, Lowe was optioned to the minor leagues, and Burke ranked third among all relievers in appearances this season (77).

The Reds needed a high-leverage left-handed presence in the bullpen, and they got exactly that after landing Burke. In 2026, he logged nearly 75 innings pitched and posted a 2.30 ERA. Cincinnati would be wise to attempt to re-sign him before the offseason officially begins.

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