Bleacher Report's ownership rankings will sadly have Reds fans nodding in agreement

Bob Castellini is not well liked throughout most of Reds Country. The Cincinnati Reds Principal Owner and Managing Partner has long been viewed as a tight-fisted villain or sorts who's more concerned with lining his pockets rather than building a contender.

The Castellini family took over ownership of the Reds after the 2005 season, a year that marked five straight losing seasons for Cincinnati baseball. Castellini vowed to get Reds baseball back to their winning ways, and did so in 2010 with a return a postseason play. Prior to that season, the Reds hadn't been to the playoffs since 1995.

And while the Reds have been back to the playoffs three times since 2010 — though one of those was the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign that included a 16-team playoff — Cincinnati has failed to win a single postseason series. In fact, it's been 30 years since the Reds advanced in the MLB Postseason and 35 years since the the team brought a World Championship back to the Queen City.

The Reds ownership group and CEO Bob Castellini are ranked among the worst in MLB

Bleacher Report recently ranked all 30 ownership groups, and to the surprise of no one, the Reds ranked near the bottom. Only the Miami Marlins, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Colorado Rockies are viewed less favorably than Castellini and the Reds ownership group.

And while there's every reason for the Reds fanbase to be upset at the ownership group, there's plenty of reason for optimism heading into the 2025 season. New manager Terry Francona has already raised expectations among the players and fans alike, and there's no doubt that Elly De La Cruz is on the precipice of becoming a top-5 player in Major League Baseball.

The Reds ownership group doesn't, and never will, have the type of money to combat with the pocketbooks of the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, and Philadelphia Phillies — all of whom ranked among the top-5 according to Bleacher Report. But there's no reason the Reds couldn't ascend to the outskirts of the top-10 alongside organizations like the Arizona Diamondbacks (No. 11) and Milwaukee Brewers (No. 12).

This ins't a make-or-break year for the Reds, but fans are expecting to see steps in the right direction. Under David Bell's leadership, it felt as if Cincinnati was always stuck in neutral. And though the team's offseason spending did not really increase all that much with Francona at the helm, his presence alone could help usher in a new era of winning in Cincinnati. Perhaps Bleacher Report will look more favorably upon the Reds ownership group if the club takes a big leap forward in 2025.

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