REVEALED: CINCINNATI REDS 2026 Collapse—Did Terry Francona’s DECISIONS Make Or Break The Team? | Cincinnati Reds Podcast

Cincinnati Reds’ front office stands firm behind Terry Francona after a brutal 75-87 finish—does the Hall of Fame manager still have the spark to turn the young core into contenders in 2027? Steven Offenbaker spotlights Elly De La Cruz’s electrifying 30-30 season, Sal Stewart’s Rookie of the Year-worthy breakout, and Chase Burns’ emergence as ace—but questions linger about Francona’s hesitation to change lineups and reliance on struggling veterans like TJ Friedl and Ke'Bryan Hayes. Key talking points include the Reds’ offensive collapse, injuries derailing the rotation featuring Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo, and bullpen fatigue. Can Francona create defined roles, push Nick Krall for real outfield upgrades, and adapt his style to maximize talent like Noelvi Marte and Matt McLain? The show wraps with a no-nonsense evaluation of Francona’s 2026 performance, grading him a solid C—setting the stage for a pivotal 2027 in Cincinnati. Cincinnati Reds, Reds 2026 season, Terry Francona, Reds manager, Elly De La Cruz, Sal Stewart, Chase Burns, TJ Friedl, Nick Krall, Reds news, Reds rumors, Cincinnati Reds podcast, MLB rumors, Reds outfield, Reds injuries, Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Andrew Abbott, Tony Santillan, Ke'Bryan Hayes, Matt McLain Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms… Everydayer Club If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join the Locked On Reds community: https://lockedonreds.supercast.com BOOKMARK Sports Illustrated’s Cincinnati Reds site, Cincinnati Reds Talk! https://www.si.com/mlb/reds/ - Also follow @jefffcarr and @soffenbaker on Twitter Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Indeed Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast. Dose Daily Ready to give your liver the support it deserves? Head to https://DoseDaily.co/LOCKEDONMLB or enter LOCKEDONMLB to get 35% off your first subscription. Aura Cybersecurity Start your free trial today at https://aura.com/aware. Protect yourself now. Gameday Mens Health Gameday Men’s Health is a real, in-person men’s health clinic that looks at the full picture before developing a treatment plan. Book your complimentary test and consult at https://join.gamedaymenshealth.com/reasons_to_choose_gameday-1201?utm_source=lockedon&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=MLB&utm_network=lockedon&utm_adgroup=corp&ghl_tag=national,corp 5-Hour ENERGY Get candy-flavored chaos with Fruity Rainbow 5-hour ENERGY®️ Shots - available online at https://5hourENERGY.com or Amazon Stance Check out the ICON collection from Stance—premium comfort, performance, and durability designed for whatever your day brings. Use promo Code LOCKEDON at checkout for 20% off your purchase. Learn more at https://Stance.com. Stance. The Official Sock Partner of Major League Baseball. KALSHI For a limited time, Download Kalshi and use code Locked On to get $25 when you trade $25. Kalshi. Trade what’s next. Gametime Today's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply. FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. It’s time to put your knowledge to the test with College Football Pick’Em from FanDuel. Download the FanDuel app and play College Football Pick'Em for free. Only on FanDuel. Join all the action at https://FANDUEL.COM FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) #Reds #CincinnatiReds #MLB Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.