Phil Castellini stepped in front of the microphones at Great American Ball Park on Thursday with a clear message for a disappointed Cincinnati clubhouse and fan base: the Reds are staying the course with their baseball operations group, and ownership says it intends to supply the support needed to turn a 75-win season into a contender.
Key takeaways
- Castellini publicly backed president of baseball operations Nick Krall and general manager Brad Meador after Cincinnati finished 75-87 and last in the NL Central in 2026.
- The Reds’ new control person said baseball decisions will remain in the hands of the club’s baseball staff.
- Ownership has no intention of selling the franchise, Castellini said.
- Elly De La Cruz, Sal Stewart and Chase Burns were cited as cornerstones of the organization’s young talent base.
- Great American Ball Park’s field dimensions are not expected to change, despite a review of possible alterations.
- MLB will continue producing and distributing Reds television broadcasts, with no announced changes to the on-air crew.
Ownership vows support after a difficult finish
Castellini, who became the Reds’ control person in February and represents the club at MLB ownership meetings, appeared alongside Krall and Meador in his first media availability since taking the role. He stressed that the title does not mean one person now runs every decision.
He described responsibility for the franchise as shared among himself, his father Bob Castellini, Krall, Meador and the rest of the organization. The meaningful change, he said, is primarily the club’s representation at the league level.
His strongest point was directed at the baseball department. Castellini said ownership’s job is to give Krall and Meador the resources to pursue the club’s plan, while allowing the people charged with roster construction, player development and scouting to make the baseball calls.
The result in 2026 left little room for soft language. Cincinnati invested in bullpen help and added free-agent power hitter Eugenio Suárez, but still wound up at 75-87, at the bottom of the division. Castellini acknowledged that the season fell short for fans, sponsors, partners, owners and the baseball staff itself.
He said the organization needs a full review of its operations, including how it has maintained continuity, executed its strategy and allocated investments. That means examining which decisions have paid off, which have not, and where a different approach is required.
The Castellini ownership group took over before the 2006 season with the stated goal of returning championship baseball to Cincinnati. In 21 years, the Reds have made the postseason five times, including an NL Wild Card appearance in 2025. The club has not won a World Series since 1990, however, and has not moved beyond a playoff round since 1995. More losing seasons than winning ones have only sharpened the frustration around the ballpark.
Still, Castellini pointed to De La Cruz, Stewart and Burns as evidence that the organization has young pieces worth building around. He endorsed the long-term model centered on the draft, player development and scouting, saying the task is to remain disciplined in following it.
Asked directly about a possible sale, Castellini said there are no such plans. He said the family has unfinished business because it has not yet delivered the result it promised the city. He called Cincinnati’s supporters knowledgeable baseball fans who deserve more, and said the current group believes it can provide it.
Ballpark review brings no change to the fences
Castellini also addressed the club’s home, saying the Reds and Hamilton County have spent the last several years studying possibilities to maintain and improve Great American Ball Park. The current lease runs through 2037, though no specific conclusions from that work were announced.
One part of the review appears settled: the Reds do not expect to alter the park’s compact playing dimensions. The club considered options such as pushing back the outfield walls or raising them, but Castellini said the infrastructure behind the walls makes those projects impractical. Utilities and other fixed elements stretching from one foul pole to the other limit what can be moved.
On the broadcast side, the Reds expect to continue with MLB handling production and distribution of their television games, an arrangement that began this season. There are no current plans to revise the broadcast talent lineup.
Castellini closed by tying the family’s future to the city. A fourth-generation Cincinnatian, he said his family understands the importance of the franchise and of professional sports to the community. The acknowledgment of recent failure, he said, does not lessen their commitment. The Castellinis plan to remain in place and keep working until the Reds produce the kind of club Cincinnati expects.
