Frustrated fans and rival executives anticipate a massive ownership shift as the Castellini family weighs a potential billion-dollar windfall amidst mounting pressure to prioritize championship contention.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today has reported that rival MLB executives believe the Cincinnati Reds will be the next franchise sold after the Los Angeles Angels were sold to Stan Kroenke of Kroenke Sports & Entertainment.
Arte Moreno sold the Angels for $4 billion, and it was reported that Moreno grew tired of the “sell the team” chants and decided to give the fans what they wanted while making a large profit.
The Reds are owned by the Castellini family, as 84-year-old Bob Castellini recently gave up control of the franchise to his son, Phil Castellini, this past February, according to The Athletic.
Cincinnati Reds fans would welcome a sale of the franchise, as the Castellinis have long been known as one of the cheapest owners in baseball, seemingly valuing profit over success.
They have not delivered a team that advanced past the first round of the playoffs and, outside of the 2012 season, have not fielded a team capable of truly competing for a World Series title.
The Reds' penny-pinching mindset drove fans to the brink this offseason when they failed to make a competitive offer for Kyle Schwarber, who was rumored to want to sign with and play for the Reds in 2026. He ultimately signed back with the Philadelphia Phillies. Cincinnati pivoted and signed Eugenio Suarez, who has been a major disappointment.
Cincinnati, according to Nightengale, is currently valued at $1.6 billion, and would give ownership a near $1.4 billion profit after he bought the franchise for $270 million in 2006.
Two teams have been sold in 2026: the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Angels. There was one each in 2025 (Tampa Bay Rays) and 2024 (Baltimore Orioles), but before that, the last team to sell was the New York Mets in 2020.
These things don’t happen very often, so it still could be a while before you see the Castellini family move on from the Reds. However, a sale would change everything for Reds fans, as many think they aren’t a player, manager, or general manager away from changing the tide, but rather a complete overhaul of the ownership.
Whether the Castellini family sells or not, changes are expected in the front office this offseason, as the future of president of baseball operations Nick Krall is in flux. Former Reds first baseman Joey Votto is seemingly making a push for that job, which would definitely infuse some energy into the fan base.
