BREAKING: Reds outfielder faces uncertain future following Nick Krall’s latest comments
Did Nick Krall just hint that Will Benson won’t be on the Reds’ 2025 Opening Day roster? That’s certainly how it sounded during his recent interview with MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM.
While discussing the team’s newest addition, Austin Hays, Krall named several outfielders expected to compete for roster spots in spring training: “He’s (Hays) gonna be in the outfield, Spencer Steer … TJ Friedl, Jake Fraley, Stuart Fairchild, all those guys are going to be competing for playing time in the outfield,” he said. But notably, he didn’t mention Benson—was that an intentional omission?
Can Will Benson force his way onto the Reds Opening Day roster?
Did Krall simply forget to mention Benson? Possibly—after all, he didn’t name Blake Dunn either. But considering Benson’s struggles at the plate last season, this might have been more than just an accidental omission.
After a rough start with the Reds in 2023 that led to a brief demotion to Triple-A, Benson returned in late May and finished strong, posting a .275/.365/.498 slash line with 11 home runs, 31 RBI, and 19 stolen bases. That late-season surge made him look like a key piece of Cincinnati’s offense heading into 2024.
The Reds have added another sneaky depth piece in 2023 All-Star Austin Hays. @Reds
🔗 https://t.co/iXax8hx4iO pic.twitter.com/6ncoLBfS6k— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) February 2, 2025
However, expectations didn’t translate into results. Instead, Benson struggled mightily at the plate, hitting just .187 with 154 strikeouts across 128 games, leading to a concerning 39.7% strikeout rate. Given those numbers, Krall’s omission might not have been an accident.
Krall may have simply forgotten to mention Benson, but there’s also a chance it was intentional. Terry Francona, who managed Benson in Cleveland, saw him struggle at the plate, hitting just .182 over 55 at-bats. The fact that the Guardians traded him to Cincinnati before the 2023 season speaks volumes about how the organization viewed the former first-round pick.
Benson is still just 27 and has shown flashes of power and speed, always hustling on every play. He’s an easy player to root for, but given his struggles last season, it wouldn’t be shocking if he started 2025 with the Louisville Bats.