The Cincinnati Reds Running it Back with Matt McLain Would Be a CATASTROPHIC Mistake

Cincinnati Reds face a critical crossroads as Matt McLain’s future highlights the front office’s ongoing evaluation struggles. Can Nick Krall afford another gamble on a struggling bat, or will outside options make more sense? Jeff breaks down two years of underwhelming performance from McLain, asking whether sentimentality is blinding roster construction as the Reds seeks meaningful upgrades.   Tyler Stephenson’s contract saga intensifies, with Jeff calling for an urgent three-year, $30 million extension to avoid a disastrous catcher-by-committee setup with Jose Treviño. Plus, injury management drama looms as Brandon Williamson faces another potentially unfair return—will the Reds risk his health for a meaningless stretch run? Unfiltered analysis covers contract strategy, player development, and looming offseason questions that will define Cincinnati’s future outlook.   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 Matt McLain isn't cutting it   10:55 Tyler Stephenson Contract Plan   21:14 Brandon Williamson Injury Management       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.