Reds Announce Coaching Updates

The Reds head into the offseason with multiple roles to fill on the coaching staff under manager Terry Francona. The club confirmed pitching coach Derek Johnson won’t be back next season. Cincinnati also dismissed assistant hitting coach Will Remillard, president of baseball operations Nick Krall and general manager Brad Meador told reporters, including Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now. Remillard has been on the big-league staff for the past two seasons. He’d been a minor league coach in the Cubs’ organization since 2019 before joining the Reds. Remillard worked under hitting coach /director of hitting Chris Valaika in Cincinnati. Remillard, Valaika, and assistant hitting coach Alex Pelaez were all hired heading into the 2025 season with Francona taking over as skipper. Elly De La Cruz put together his most complete offensive season in 2026. His costar, Sal Stewart, is a strong candidate to win NL Rookie of the Year. Outside of De La Cruz and Stewart, the Reds struggled mightily on offense. Cincinnati scored the 4th-fewest runs this season. The club ranked dead last in wRC+. Meador said the organization is looking for a coach with more experience to help the offense. The lineup is projected to look largely the same next season, barring any major offseason additions. Third baseman Eugenio Suarez has a $16MM mutual option for 2027 that the Reds are unlikely to pick up. Catcher Tyler Stephenson is a free agent. Krall said they’d keep in touch with him. The rest of the group will return next year. On the pitching side, the Reds are currently looking outside the organization to fill Johnson’s role. Assistant pitching coaches Matt Tracy and Oscar Marin interviewed for the gig, but now the club is talking to external candidates, Krall said (h/t again to Goldsmith). Tracy was a bullpen coach with the Reds from 2022 through 2025. He was bumped to assistant pitching coach this past season. Marin joined the organization in 2026 after six seasons as the Pirates pitching coach. He was well-regarded for his work with Pittsburgh’s staff. Marin would be a reasonable candidate to replace Johnson given his experience, and that could still happen. The club’s decision to look outside the organization seems to signal it won’t be Tracy or Marin getting the role, though. Photo courtesy of Frank Bowen IV of The Enquirer via Imagn Images View Comments (0)