Could the Reds Dismiss Nick Krall? History Shows Midseason GM Firings Are Rare

With the Cincinnati Reds’ season circling the drain and fans’ approval rating of ownership and the front office at an all-time low, the idea that the Reds could move on from president of baseball operations Nick Krall is now a major talking point.

Cincinnati is currently 39-45 after going 9-17 in June. The Reds entered the month at 30-29 and seven games behind first place in the NL Central after going 10-17 in May, including an eight-game losing streak.

While there has been hope that players returning from injury could give the Reds a spark, there has been very little offensive consistency, and the starting rotation has been up and down outside of Chase Burns and Andrew Abbott.

However, is there precedent for firing a general manager or president of baseball operations before the trade deadline? Looking at MLB history, it rarely happens. Owners usually let the person who built the roster make decisions about trades at the deadline, then dismiss that executive after the deadline or at the end of the season.

However, former Angels general manager Perry Minasian was fired on June 26, 35 days before the trade deadline. Mike Rizzo was dismissed in July 2025. Before that, it had been more than nine years since the last general manager was fired before the trade deadline, when the Minnesota Twins dismissed Terry Ryan.

Owners are very reluctant to send their teams into the trade deadline with interim leadership, and hiring a general manager between the firing and the deadline has almost never happened. Ownership usually waits until after the season ends to hire a permanent general manager.

If the Reds are to move on from Nick Krall, it will likely come after the trade deadline, as owners still require general managers to run major decisions, such as trades, by them before they become official. This could be a season in which the Castellini family is more involved in decision-making if it plans to fire Krall after the deadline or at the end of the season.

However, taking as much time as possible to make the right hire and considering every possible candidate could put the Reds in a good position. The Reds’ front office has botched a championship window with tons of offensive talent and a stellar pitching rotation. The decision to lowball Kyle Schwarber, who has 30 home runs, when the foregone conclusion among his Phillies teammates was that he’d sign with his hometown team, and then sign Eugenio Suárez, who has eight home runs, has cast a negative light on Krall.

Additionally, trading for Gavin Lux from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for Mike Sirota, who is now the No. 12 prospect in Major League Baseball, while Lux has hit five home runs with a .724 OPS for the Reds, is another fact in the case against Krall.

If the Reds decide to make a move, it could come in the next week or two.