SIGN HIM: Cincinnati Reds Must LOCK IN Tyler Stephenson Before It's Too Late

Cincinnati Reds' late-game heroics underscore why locking in Tyler Stephenson must be the front office’s top priority. Can the Reds afford to risk losing one of MLB’s top-producing catchers while holes loom in center field and the infield? Jeff spotlights Stephenson’s consistent bat, critical RBI, and what’s at stake if the Reds don’t secure him for the future, questioning whether Jose Treviño or other in-house options can truly handle an everyday catcher’s load.   Nick Lodolo emerges as the most important pitcher for the rest of the Reds’ season after showcasing a devastating new breaking ball in his return from the IL. Jeff breaks down Lodolo’s revamped pitch mix, a bullpen surge led by Luis Mey and Emilio Pagán, and the high-ceiling debut of 2026 first-round pick Justin Lebron in Dayton. Prospects Alfredo Duno and Steele Hall also climb Baseball America’s top 10 rankings. Will these moves jumpstart the Reds’ long-term ambitions?   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   00:00 — Tyler Stephenson Extension Push   10:28 — Nick Lodolo's Crucial Return   20:56 — Justin Lebron's Prospect Debut     Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!   Amazon This Back To School Season, spend less on your kids, with Amazon. With Amazon’s low Back To School Prices, just spend less on your kids. Because every dollar you don’t spend on them, is a dollar you haven’t spent on them.   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.   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.     Odoo Great organizations win because operations matter. And that’s why you should get Odoo. Try for free today at https://Odoo.com/lockedon.   Clutch Parlays Go to https://ClutchParlays.com today and use code LOCKEDON for your first month free on a monthly plan. Pick Smarter. Parlay Sharper.   KALSHI For a limited time, Download the Kalshi app and use code [LOCKEDON] to get $10 when you trade $10.   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. Join all the action at https://FANDUEL.COM to play Daily Dingers and make your free pick on who’s hitting a homer this MLB season.   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 pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.