It's time for Reds president Phil Castellini to ride off into the sunset

The Cincinnati Reds have become a laughing stock throughout Major League Baseball. After looking like a team who could compete for a division title prior to the 2020 season, the club is now smack-dab in the middle of a full-on rebuild.

Critics of Reds newest direction have directed their ire at CEO Bob Castellini. While the social media movement (#SellTheTeamBob) and billboards are somewhat comical, the harsh reality is that the Reds have more than just one owner and selling the team would be a very complex task.

However, one task that wouldn't be nearly as difficult is for Bob's son and Reds' president Phil Castellini to remove himself from the public eye. After last week's Rosie Reds luncheon, it's apparent that Castellini has no sense of how to conduct himself in front of the Cincinnati fanbase.

It's time for Reds president Phil Castellini to ride off into the sunset.

We won't dive into the specifics of everything that was said, because a lot of it was not reported by a verified source. That said, where there's smoke, there's fire. And by the postings observed on social media, that luncheon was rather hot.

The bottom line is, everything Phil Castellini touches, at this point, becomes further proof that he's bad for the Cincinnati Reds brand. After his "where ya gonna go?" comments last spring, the Reds PR staff should have placed a moratorium on Castellini's public appearances.

At this time, nothing that he's going to say (other than goodbye) will satisfy the Reds fanbase. While the lack of spending has certainly eroded the fan's trust in the Reds' ownership, Castellini only makes things worse by saying the quiet part out loud.

Phil Castellini is an embarrassment to the Cincinnati Reds franchise, and he would do well to just retire from the public eye. Castellini has put himself in a no-win situation, and it's time for him to ride off into the sunset.