Reds don’t need to follow Angels’ ownership shakeup to contend (but one change must happen)

Longtime Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno stunned the baseball world earlier this week after selling controlling interest in the team to Stan Kroenke. The owner of the NFL's Los Angeles Rams —and a myriad of other sports franchises — Kroenke will soon take over the reins of one of the most inept organizations in professional sports.

The prevailing thought among most observers is that with Moreno stepping aside and Kroenke leading the way, the Halos will reverse their penny-pinching ways of the past, increase the club's payroll, and lure some high-dollar free agents to southern California.

Whenever such a massive change occurs, Cincinnati Reds fans are left thinking, "what if that was us?" Chants and billboards encouraging Bob and Phil Castellini and the Reds ownership group to sell the team gained traction several years ago, and with the struggles surrounding the club this season, those sentiments will soon return.

While it's true that under the Castellini's leadership the Reds have failed to build a consistent contender, finding a new owner who's willing to spend top dollar in a small-market like Cincinnati is (pun intended) a tough sell.

High-dollar spending will never be part of the Reds' blueprint — regardless of ownership

The three smallest markets in Major League Baseball belong to the Reds, Milwaukee Brewers, and Kansas City Royals. If you want to dig a little deeper, you can include the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cleveland Guardians. Those five franchises consistently rank among the bottom in payroll spending year-in and year-out.

But there's a method to the madness. These organizations operate in a compact media market, thereby receiving less money in both television and gate revenue. In short, there's less money coming in, meaning these organizations will spend less.

Now, if you want to go down the rabbit hole of the San Diego Padres market size and argue that not every small-market team has to operate in the same manner, be my guest. There is some validity to that argument. I would simply suggest that if it was that easy, every small-market team throughout the league would do it.

The St. Louis Cardinals have oftentimes operated outside the confines of the "small-market" label despite the overall population and television revenue of being less than most mid and large-market ball clubs. More recently, however, the Cardinals have felt the pinch. St. Louis spent $156 million on player salaries in 2022, but that number dipped to $91 million this season. Why?

One look at their gate revenue would show you why. The Cardinals were cramming 3,320,551 into Busch Stadium in 2022 when the team won 93 games. But the win total has plummeted in recent years and so has fan interest. With just under a month remaining in 2026, the Cardinals have only attracted 1,968,413 to the ballpark this season.

The Reds can't fire the owner, but the GM could be on the chopping block

In short, regardless of who owns the team, the Reds are never going to be big spenders. The ownership group is looking for a return on their investment, and unless the seats at Great American Ball Park are packed on a nightly basis, that's not going to happen.

In no way is that a shot at the Reds fanbase. The Castellini's and the rest of the Reds ownership group lost the benefit of the doubt long ago. Phil Castellini's infamous, "Where you gonna go?" line in 2022 revealed just how out of touch the Reds' ownership truly is.

But, for better or worse, that's who calls the shots. With Phil Castellini officially assuming the role of controlling owner and CEO last February, there's little reason to believe a change is coming anytime soon.

Nevertheless, a change in leadership is needed, and it could come in the form of a new president of baseball operations. Nick Krall is on the hot seat — at least most of the Reds' fanbase hopes he is — and after another failed season, he could be on his way out of town once the 2026 campaign wraps up.

The other aforementioned small-market franchises have found ways to have success despite a meager payroll. The Reds need to do the same. In turn, the Cincinnati faithful need to accept that a small-market budget notwithstanding, the Reds can still compete for division titles. They don't need new ownership, just new management.

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