Barry Larkin’s heartfelt plea should force the Reds to rethink Nick Krall's status

Barry Larkin made some very poignant comments after the final out of the Cincinnati Reds' 8-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Sunday afternoon at Great American Ball Park.

"I think these last three weeks of baseball playing against some of the better teams that are going to be going to the postseason really illustrates how far we are behind at this big league level. And change has to happen," Larkin said.

He continued, "This city deserves better than that, and I know every player down there feels that. But something has to give. We have to get better because we are so, so far behind.”

When The Captain speaks, he typically commands the attention and respect of those around him. Many fans will remember Larkin's veiled critique of former manager David Bell back in 2024. The Hall of Famer spoke about the Reds being mediocre. Bell was fired a little over a week later. Will Larkin's latest appraisal result in more change?

Barry Larkin’s impassioned plea should force the Reds to fire Nick Krall

About a week ago, reports emerged that suggest the Reds plan on retaining president of baseball operations Nick Krall despite the team's disappointing performance this season. That decision — though not confirmed by the Reds' ownership group — was met with harsh criticism throughout the fanbase.

Reds fans have watched Krall preside as the head of the baseball operations since Dick Williams left in 2020. During that span, Cincinnati has made just one playoff appearance and were promptly swept out of the postseason after just two games. The Reds haven't won a playoff series in over 30 years.

Many Reds fans are fed up with ownership; and that's understandable. Since the Castellini family took over in 2006, Cincinnati has won the NL Central Division championship just twice and hasn't finished above third in the division since 2012. The Reds are no longer mediocre, they're inferior.

But you can't fire the owner, and there've been no rumors to suggest the Castellini's have any plans to sell the team in the near future. You can, however, replace Krall, and maybe Larkin's comments will be enough to spur some changes in the front office.

Larkin's message received praise from future Hall of Famer Joey Votto. Chatterbox Sports shared a link with Larkin's comments posted to X (formerly Twitter), and Votto reposted it with the message, "Captain Lark 100."

There's still a week's worth of games remaining in the regular season, and nothing has been finalized yet. Given the amount of outrage the owership group has seen from the Reds' fanbase (and now among former players), perhaps there's a chance the Castellini's will change their minds and terminate Krall's contract after the season.

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