The Cincinnati Reds are still searching for a pitching coach after all the drama involving former pitching coach Derek Johnson. The Reds put him on leave mid-2026 season, and he never returned; the team didn't mention his absence from when they announced his leave until Cincinnati announced he wouldn't return for the upcoming season.
At his peak, Johnson produced a top-10 pitching staff under David Bell, showing he had the chops to stick around under Terry Francona. Now Cincinnati needs a new leader for a pitching staff that includes up-and-coming ace Chase Burns, the injured Hunter Greene, veterans like Andrew Abbott and Nick Lodolo, and young right-hander Rhett Lowder.
Here are some possible candidates for the position.
Oscar Marin, Cincinnati Reds bullpen coach
Marin is the Reds' bullpen coach and interviewed for the job as an in-house candidate who would provide continuity. That could be one of the biggest reasons not to hire Marin, since many fans want Cincinnati to look outside the organization for this role.
However, Marin has experience as a pitching coach for multiple major league organizations, so it wouldn't be a promotion he hasn't handled before. At the very least, Marin is a solid option if the Reds miss on their top candidates.
Juan Sandoval, Milwaukee Brewers assistant pitching coach
Sandoval is the assistant pitching coach for the Milwaukee Brewers, who are on the doorstep of a World Series title, up 2-0 in the series against the Tampa Bay Rays. He has overseen great seasons from Jacob Misiorowski and right-handed reliever Abner Uribe, who had a 1.97 ERA in the regular season with six saves and a 62-to-19 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Uribe has posted an ERA below 2.00 in three of his four seasons, with an outlier 6.91 ERA in 2024 that he bounced back from.
Connor McGuiness, Los Angeles Dodgers assistant pitching coach
McGuiness has worked with some of MLB's best pitchers in his role with the Dodgers, coaching pitchers like Clayton Kershaw, Tarik Skubal, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell.
He has been on staff since 2020 and has helped lead the Dodgers to three World Series appearances. This would be the perfect promotion for McGuiness to prove he can lead a pitching staff.
At the end of the day, Cincinnati needs to hire from outside the organization unless it is absolutely sold on someone like Oscar Marin. But if the Reds go that route, it would be a tough sell.