The 2026 GM meetings are underway in Las Vegas, and on day three, Krall was asked about Nick Lodolo’s future with the club.
The Reds’ left-hander has struggled to stay healthy in the majors. Lodolo has already spent time on the IL eight times in his five years with the Reds, so re-signing him is a definite gamble.
“Obviously, Nick had some struggles with blisters this year,” Krall said in a recent interview. “It started at the end of spring training and just kind of worked all the way through the season.”
Krall is right: blister issues have accounted for half of Lodolo’s eight stints on the IL. Blisters have been a growing theme for Lodolo, and they are becoming an injury he can’t avoid. Lodolo only made 21 starts this past season (2026), down 7 from 2025, when he ended the campaign on the IL. Lodolo has never stayed healthy for a full season yet in the big leagues.
His stats show little consistency. 2025 was Lodolo’s healthiest and most productive major league season. He set career highs in innings pitched 156.2 and strikeouts 156, while posting a brilliant 3.33 ERA and 1.08 WHIP over 28 starts. Unfortunately, he struggled this past season and couldn’t maintain the consistent rhythm he found in 2025. His walk rate spiked to 3.81 BB/9 in 2026, and the resulting increase in traffic on the basepaths pushed his WHIP to 1.48 and his ERA to nearly 5.00. His strikeout rate also dropped notably to 6.87 K/9, continuing a decline that began after he reached the big leagues. This reflects how difficult it was for him to maintain high-spin efficiency and sharp secondary pitches because of discomfort in his left index finger throughout the spring and summer.
“So, you know, we want to get him back on track, get him back to where he can be a dominant pitcher in the big leagues, like he’s shown flashes of over the last couple of years. So getting him back to where he needs to get to is a first-and-foremost priority.” Krall continued.
Krall wants to see better health and consistency from Lodolo before they consider next steps. If Lodolo stays healthy, he would be a solid trade chip for any team, especially as a left-handed pitcher. Lodolo has the potential to be a team’s number two pitcher, but his inconsistent numbers and injury-prone career make it difficult to get a solid return.
Given the uncertainty about where the club is headed, I do not think it makes sense for the Reds to re-sign Lodolo after this upcoming season, when he becomes an unrestricted free agent. They are quietly heading into another painful rebuild, and their future plans more than likely don’t include the 28-year-old Nick Lodolo.
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