Barry Larkin made a surprising decision that will have Reds fans completely divided

When the Cincinnati Reds fired David Bell with a week remaining in the 2024 season, a number of fans assumed that Barry Larkin might become the team's new manager. Larkin has deep ties to the organization and the community, and though he doesn't have managerial experience in the big leagues, the Reds' legend managed Team Brazil in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

As it turns out, Larkin was on the Reds' shortlist after Bell was let go last fall. During an appearance on the Dayton Dragons' radio broadcast this past weekend, the Hall of Famer revealed that Nick Krall, along with Bob and Phil Castellini, approached him about taking over as the Reds' manager.

"They asked me. They asked me if I was interested in being the manager, and I told them no early," Larkin said. He went on to talk about his family and other commitments being the chief reasons why he turned down the opportunity. After Larkin refused, the Reds turned their attention to Terry Francona, and eventually made the future Hall of Famer the team's new skipper.

Barry Larkin made a surprising decision that will have Reds fans completely divided

Beyond family commitments and other endeavors, Larkin sounded quite content being more of an ambassador for the organization rather than someone who's part of the day-to-day operation.

"I don't have any aspirations of being a manager," Larkin said. "But I certainly have aspirations of helping that manager. And hopefully helping this manager in some player development win a World Series."

Larkin was beloved as a player, but since joining the Reds' broadcast team back in 2021, he's become a rather polarizing figure within the organization. Larkin's emphasis on the fundamentals and an old-school approach to the game of baseball has endeared him with some of the fans. Others throughout Reds Country, however, find Larkin's commentary antiquated and out of touch with modern-day baseball.

As such, there are those who would undoubtedly love to see Larkin in the Reds' dugout in the future, while others would recoil in horror at the notion of the 12-time All-Star steering the ship.

Larkin didn't rule out the idea of managing the Reds in the future, saying, "Would I ever want to do it? I don't know. I know I don't want to do it now...But I do have a great relationship with the players. And I love the fact that they've accepted me and allowed me to come and be part of their development."

Francona signed a four-year deal with the Reds this past offseason, but at 66 years old, one has to wonder how much longer Tito plans to stick around. A lot may depend on how competitive this Reds' franchise is going to be in the future, and if Year 1 under Francona is any indication, he may at the helm longer than fans think.

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