Reds Ownership Confirms Nick Krall Will Return With Statement That Raises More Questions

Nick Krall is officially coming back, and the Cincinnati Reds’ ownership group is once again asking fans to trust that better results are coming.

In a statement to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Bob and Phil Castellini confirmed that Nick Krall and Brad Meador will continue leading the team’s baseball operations.

“We recognize the promise we made to the fans 20 years ago,” Bob and Phil Castellini told The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. “Although we have had some success and some playoff appearances, it is not enough. Our responsibility is to learn, improve and keep pushing forward until we give the fans what they deserve."

“Nick and Brad will continue leading our baseball operations and they are in the process of auditing every aspect of our player development system so they can make the decisions that will yield better results. The baseball leaders will make the baseball decisions.”

That last sentence stands out, especially after Rosenthal’s reporting raised questions about how the organization is run and who is actually responsible for its decisions.

After all of the blame and finger-pointing, ownership is publicly saying that the baseball leaders will make the baseball decisions. That sounds good, but will it actually happen?

If Krall has been unable to carry out his plans, will that change now that those issues have been made public? Or will the Reds continue operating the same way, with the same people in charge?

Those are fair questions, and this statement does not do much to answer them.

Ownership and the Front Office Both Deserve Blame

Cincinnati Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall walks between fields at the Cincinnati Reds Player Development Complex in Goodyear, Ariz., on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. Mandatory Credit: Sam Greene/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Ownership deserves criticism for the way this organization has been run. The Castellinis made a promise to fans 20 years ago, and even their own statement acknowledges that the results have not been good enough.

But that does not mean Krall and the front office should get a pass.

There is room to criticize ownership’s involvement while also questioning the decisions made by the people running baseball operations. Both can be part of the problem, and bringing everyone back puts pressure on both sides to show why fans should expect something different.

Reviewing the player development system is a reasonable step. But fans have every reason to wonder why the organization is still searching for these answers after another disappointing season.

The Reds have not won a postseason game since 2012 or a postseason series since 1995. Their farm system is currently ranked 28th by Baseball America. Fans have heard plenty about building toward something better. They are still waiting for it to happen.

Will Rosenthal's Article Change Things?

New Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona (right) shakes hands with team owner Bob Castellini during an event to introduce the new manager of the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The most surprising part is that ownership is standing behind the same leadership after all the finger-pointing and leaks in Rosenthal’s report. You have to wonder how everyone moves forward now that those frustrations are public and whether anything actually changes.

If the baseball leaders are going to make the baseball decisions, ownership needs to let them do that. And Krall and Meador need to deliver better results.

The Castellinis are right about one thing. Fans deserve more. After 20 years, they should not have to settle for another promise.

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