Overview
- Nick Krall, Cincinnati’s president of baseball operations, confirmed that Derek Johnson will not be the Reds’ pitching coach in 2027.
- Johnson took an indefinite leave of absence in June and did not return, and assistant coach Matt Tracy and bullpen coach Oscar Martin handled game-day pitching duties after his departure.
- StatMuse data compiled across Johnson’s 2019–2026 tenure show mixed results with a 4.22 staff ERA (ranked 22nd), middle-of-the-pack strikeout numbers, and 5,551 runs allowed, the fifth-most in baseball.
- Following Johnson’s leave the Reds posted a 4.85 team ERA and ranked in the bottom five in the league, while starter Chase Burns was the lone rotation bright spot with a 15-3 record and 2.86 ERA before a late groin shutdown.
- The club faces an offseason choice between promoting internal coaches such as Tracy or Martin or hiring an outside pitching leader, a decision that will shape pitcher development, roster moves, and spring training plans.