Nick Krall Explains Reds' Plan for Their Top Catching Prospect

With the Milwaukee Brewers winning the World Series on Wednesday night, the offseason is here for the Cincinnati Reds, and the biggest question on their list sits behind the plate.

Catcher Tyler Stephenson held the job for the past five seasons but is now headed to the free-agent market, while the next homegrown catcher in line is not expected to be ready by Opening Day.

MLB Pipeline has catcher Alfredo Duno as the No. 1 prospect in the organization and No. 20 in baseball.

He hit .281 with an .899 OPS, 19 home runs and 61 RBIs over 97 games between High-A Dayton and Double-A Chattanooga this year, but only 32 of those games came at Chattanooga because he missed a month with a right hamstring strain.

President of baseball operations Nick Krall talked about Duno in comments shared with MLB.com and did not sugarcoat where the young catcher stands.

"First, I think Duno needs to be a Minor League player. He's a great kid. He's made great strides. But he has a lot of work to do, and as a 20-year-old in Double-A, he needs to continue to develop," Krall said.

He went on to say the club does not want to rush Duno to the big leagues in a way that hurts his growth, and the MLB.com report said his arrival could come later in 2027 or in 2028.

Duno is playing winter ball for Leones del Caracas in Venezuela, and his early numbers there line up with what Krall said.

He is hitting .171 with one home run, three RBIs and seven walks through 10 games, the last of them on Monday, and while that is a small sample, it is a good reminder that he is still learning.

There has been some hope that Duno could take over the job in 2027, which makes sense given the power he has shown, but I think Krall has this one right.

He admitted after the season that the club should have sent outfielder Noelvi Marte down earlier than it did, and the Reds should not make that same mistake with the best prospect in their system.

That leaves a real hole for 2027, because outside of Stephenson the Reds only have catchers Jose Trevino and Will Banfield on the 40-man roster.

Trevino hit .217 with five home runs in 52 games while dealing with injuries, and Banfield has played just 18 big league games over two seasons.

Stephenson hit .241 with 15 home runs over 130 games, and MLB.com reported that a reunion has not been ruled out, even as Krall weighs whether that money would be better spent somewhere else.

Bringing Stephenson back is not a slam dunk, but he is one of several Reds about to hit the open market and the options behind him are thin.

I would bring Stephenson back on a short deal that bridges the gap until Duno is ready.

The Reds finished last in the National League Central at 75-87, and starting over at the hardest spot on the field while they wait on their top prospect would make next season tougher.