Nick Krall Opens Up on Reds' Catcher Question Before Free Agency

One of the first big calls of the winter for the Cincinnati Reds sits behind home plate, because catcher Tyler Stephenson is set to become a free agent after a season where the club went 75-87 and finished last in the National League Central.

Stephenson was drafted and developed by Cincinnati, and he has been with the big league club since he debuted in 2020, which makes this more than a normal free agent decision.

President of baseball operations Nick Krall was asked about Stephenson as he looked ahead to the offseason, and he said the club needs to step back and figure out what it would take to keep him, how it would help the team move forward and whether that money would be better spent on another need.

"I think we have a lot of questions that need to be answered over the next month as we approach free agency. But he's a great guy and we'd love to have him back," Krall said in comments shared with MLB.com.

Stephenson hit .241 with a .323 on-base percentage, 15 home runs and 54 RBI in 130 games this year, a better average than the .231 he posted in 2025.

His last game came on Saturday, Sept. 26, in Toronto, one day before the season ended.

Krall pointed to the catcher's season as proof that the contact-first plan from hitting coach Chris Valaika can work, and that same belief is a big reason Valaika is coming back next year.

That makes it hard to picture the front office letting him walk without a real effort, especially for a team that was last in the majors in batting average at .229 and on-base percentage at .305.

The money is where things get tricky, as the Reds do not usually set a budget until late October or early November per MLB.com, and there are holes at third base, second base and in the outfield along with a rotation that needs help.

Stephenson's strong summer made him a name to watch at the trade deadline before Cincinnati decided to hold on to him.

If Stephenson leaves, the only other catchers on the 40-man roster are backup catcher Jose Trevino and catcher Will Banfield, who has little big league experience.

The Reds would then have to find a starting catcher in free agency or through a trade, and that money would come out of the same budget meant to fix the lineup.

I think Krall is right to look at every option, but I also think bringing Stephenson back makes the most sense.

Both sides already have a good idea of his value after he won his arbitration case back in February, and Cincinnati needs more players who get on base, not fewer, so starting over at the hardest spot on the field would only add one more problem to a long list.

Krall and general manager Brad Meador have plenty to sort out, but keeping a homegrown catcher who fits the plan at the plate should be near the top of it.