Reds overhaul coaching staff but fans already see the same problems

The Cincinnati Reds coaching staff underwent a major overhaul during the first official day of the 2025-26 Major League Baseball offseason. With Terry Francona set to enter his second season as the Reds manager, he'll be doing it without his right-hand man by his side.

Reds bench coach Brad Mills, who's been alongside Tito for years, announced his retirement on Monday. Mike Napoli, who was in the Cincinnati dugout last season, will take over as the Reds' assistant bench coach heading in next season.

The Reds also filled the vacancy left by J.R. House as well after hiring Willie Harris to take over as the team's third base coach. Bill Haselman will become Cincinnati's new catching coach. House handled both duties for the Reds since 2019, but joined the Arizona Diamondbacks' coaching staff earlier this offseason.

Reds hitting coach Chris Valaika was not part of Terry Francona's coaching changes

One name not among the coaching changes was Chris Valaika. The Reds Director of Hitting/ Major League Hitting Coach will also be back in 2026, much to the chagrin of nearly every fan throughout Cincinnati.

The team's offense was a sore subject for Reds Country all season, and it appears that they've decided to run it back in 2026. The Reds ranked 16th in on-base percentage (.315), 19th in batting average (.245) and OPS (.706), and 21st in slugging (.391) and home runs (167).

While Reds fans will bemoan the fact that Valaika will be back next season, they'll surely rejoice at the notion that Derek Johnson will be returning for an eighth straight season. Johnson has overseen the Reds' pitching development for nearly the past decade, and the team's starting rotation was among the best in baseball last year.

While the coaches certainly have an impact on player performance, Nick Krall and the Reds front office needs to do their job too and bring some some top-tier talent this offseason. While free agency oftentimes goes untouched by the Reds' brass, perhaps Krall will change his tune this winter. Cincinnati could also look toward the trade market in order to upgrade the roster.