Reds Beat: MLB Approves Ownership Change from Bob Castellini to Son Phil Castellini – ‘The conclusion of the process’

Phil Castellini now officially controls the Cincinnati Reds.

Major League Baseball owners Thursday approved the ownership control of the franchise from 84-year-old Bob Castellini to his son Phil. This was considered a formality to eventual change in control of the team.

“That was part of MLB protocols associated with the organizational changes the Reds announced in July of 2024 naming Phil president and CEO, and Doug Healy as COO and CFO,” the team said in a statement.

Bob Castellini led a group that purchased the Reds from Carl Lindner for $270 million, and in January 2006, Castellini was named the CEO of the franchise. One of Castellini’s first moves as CEO was replacing General Manager Dan O’Brien with Wayne Krivsky in February 2006. Phil worked as the team’s Senior Director of Business Operations when Castellini initially bought the team.

Following the 2007 season, Phil was named the team’s chief operating officer. In July 2024, Bob handed his posts as president and CEO over to Phil, while remaining head of the franchise. That changed with Thursday’s approval. Phil was one of the driving forces to bring two-time World Series champion manager Terry Francona to Cincinnati following the 2024 season.

Phil was also in the room and signed off on President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall signing free agent Eugenio Suarez to a one-year, $15 million contract with a mutual option for 2027, leading to raised expectations for the team. (For a full spring training primer, click here).

The Reds were more competitive in 2006, finishing in 3rd place in the National League (NL) Central division at 80–82. In the winter of 2006, Castellini introduced new uniforms for the Reds. Under Castellini’s ownership in 2010, the Cincinnati Reds won their first National League Central division championship since the 1995 season. From 2014 to 2019 they finished no higher than 4th place in the Central division including 4 straight seasons in last place, losing more than 90 games each season. In 2020 they made the playoffs in the COVID-19-shortened season with an expanded playoff field but were beaten by the Atlanta Braves, 2–0.

“We’re buying the Reds to win. Anything else is unacceptable,” Castellini famously said at the press conference to announce the new ownership. The Reds have made the playoffs in five of his 20 seasons to date, (2010, ’12, ’13, ’20, ’25). But the overall numbers are not great. They have just two playoff wins in 13 tries during those five appearances.

The Reds rank 22nd most wins during his ownership (1,193–1,297), have seven winning seasons and are one of only seven teams to fail to make their league’s championship series.

Following the end of the 2022 MLB lockout, the Reds went on an apparent fire sale, leading to several fan protests over Castellini’s ownership of the team and asking him to sell. The Reds season started badly as their record stood at 3-22 through their first 25 games of the 2022 season, finishing with 100 losses for just the second time in franchise history.