Reds’ Nick Krall Reveals Why Chris Valaika Is Returning in 2027

Cincinnati Reds’ president of baseball operations Nick Krall told reporters that bringing back hitting coach Chris Valaika stemmed largely from his belief in Valaika's hitting approach that prioritizes contact and putting the ball in play.

Krall pointed to the strong offensive seasons of Sal Stewart, Elly De La Cruz, and Tyler Stephenson as a big reason to bring back Valaika. He also said the front office brought in the wrong players to match that philosophy, which is another big reason for the poor offensive season. 

This statement was understandably not well received by Reds fans, who don’t understand why Cincinnati is choosing to bring back the person in charge of the most deficient part of their team in 2026. In my opinion, a hitting coach shouldn’t be judged on the performances of his best players, but on how he develops young players and other hitters from whom the Reds front office can expect a turnaround. 

When Edwin Arroyo got to Cincinnati, he fell off a cliff offensively and lost the power that was one of the better, more consistent parts of his game in the minor leagues. 

Noelvi Marte didn’t take a step forward and was actually worse, as he clearly became a bust. Ke’Bryan Hayes is another player the Reds' front office bet on to take a step forward, and he not only didn't, but also put together one of the worst offensive seasons in Major League Baseball history. 

Jose Trevino was another player who struggled mightily, putting together one of the worst seasons in the league in 2026. 

It seems like firing Valaika would have been the perfect scapegoat for the front office. I kind of respect Krall for continually blaming himself and the front office for the Reds' inability to field a competitive roster in 2026. Based on Krall’s statements, you should expect Cincinnati to target contact-oriented hitters in line with Valaika’s philosophy. 

Krall basically said, without saying it, that signing Eugenio Suarez, a power-oriented hitter, didn't align with their hitting philosophy, which makes the signing look even worse than his disappointing stat line. In a recent story by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, it was revealed that Krall wanted to sign veteran pitcher Nick Martinez, who signed with the Tampa Bay Rays and had a great season, but ownership pushed him to sign a power hitter to produce more home runs. 

Maybe now that the dysfunction between the front office and ownership is out in the open, we can have a blank slate going into 2027.