Phil Castellini surprised that Opening Day tickets still unsold

[Bob Sheed]

They also had a puff piece from Andy Furman with the same boogeyman who will move the team crap.

Full court press on treating Cincinnati fans like idiots.

More like battered spouses, honestly.

Same exact playbook. We must tolerate the abuse. Because if the abuse isn't tolerated, the abuser might leave and then we'll be all alone. Seriously. That's the rhetoric in a nutshell.

[Wonderful Monds]

Another poverty PR piece from the Enquirer: https://www.cincinnati.com/story/new...ry/9514001002/

They really want you to know that Bob doesn't have as much money as other people.

Pretty funny no one was willing to put their actual name on the byline lol

[LeatherPants]

It's the market that affects payroll. Not the ownership structure. We've got a $100mill payroll in a rebuild yr. We're not the kind of market that can handle a top ten payroll

This is just such nonsense on every level. The brainwashing these people have done to Reds fans is just a disgrace.

They are going to bring in close to $300 million of total revenue in 2022. In most of the last 16 years they’ve been able to afford spending 45-50% of revenue towards payroll. This year they are looking at ~35%. Maybe it might be worth going that low if they jumped it up to 55-60% for a few years (payflex), but they won’t do that because they are cheap idiots that a cutting off their own noses to save face.

[bucksfan2]

Yes Castellini is one of the least wealthy MLB owners. That is pretty much fact. It doesn't excuse him being a poor ower.

I do believe they lost money due to the pandemic, it doesn't excuse what they did this off season.

Overall I think Castellini has been tone deaf in his moves and done a terrible job in communication.

FWIW the moves they made, the drafting they have done recently, and their international signings may very well build one heck of a club in the coming years.

[RedTeamGo!]

Pretty funny no one was willing to put their actual name on the byline lol

I noticed that too, that has to be such a bad feeling for a journalist

[Sea Ray]

This is just such nonsense on every level. The brainwashing these people have done to Reds fans is just a disgrace.

They are going to bring in close to $300 million of total revenue in 2022. In most of the last 16 years they’ve been able to afford spending 45-50% of revenue towards payroll. This year they are looking at ~35%. Maybe it might be worth going that low if they jumped it up to 55-60% for a few years (payflex), but they won’t do that because they are cheap idiots that a cutting off their own noses to save face.

The Houston Astros are #10 at $172 million. What makes you think that we can afford the payroll of the 4th largest market in the country?

[oregonred]

It's about positioning and communication plus having a competent GM that can articulate a plan. No one should realistically expect the Reds to be a top 15 spending franchise year in and year out. Frankly they haven't cut payroll enough over the last 15 years. They need to ebb and flow with payflex and hire everyone they can from the Rays, As, Brewers and Cleveland organizations.

Baseball has moved to young guns with insanely filthy stuff. Good to see the Reds going that direction with the pen and starters consistent with MLB and also the Reds minor league organization direction starting with Boody a few years back. Also like the team embracing the new pitch calling technology.

[oregonred]

The Houston Astros are #10 at $172 million. What makes you think that we can afford the payroll of the 4th largest market in the country?

Also noting the Rangers and Astros are now, by far, the two largest markets in baseball without a 2nd team siphoning the local revenue streams. This is why was thrilled to see the Astros move out of the NL Central and even better into the AL years ago.

[Sea Ray]

It's about positioning and communication plus having a competent GM that can articulate a plan. No one should realistically expect the Reds to be a top 15 spending franchise year in and year out. Frankly they haven't cut payroll enough over the last 15 years. They need to ebb and flow with payflex and hire everyone they can from the Rays, As, Brewers and Cleveland organizations.

Baseball has moved to young guns with insanely filthy stuff. Good to see the Reds going that direction with the pen and starters consistent with MLB and also the Reds minor league organization direction starting with Boody a few years back. Also like the team embracing the new pitch calling technology.

You get it. Fans who insist this team can spend with the big boys are setting themselves up for endless disappointment and frustration.

[CesarGeronimo]

Pretty funny no one was willing to put their actual name on the byline lol

It's typical not to have a byline with a series of charts like this, as opposed to an article written by a particular reporter.

[BCubb2003]

The owners of the Washington Nationals are considering selling, and the owner of the Baltimore Orioles released a dubious statement to the fans about how the franchise deserves millions from the Legislature to redevelop Camden Yards.

[Redsfaithful]

You get it. Fans who insist this team can spend with the big boys are setting themselves up for endless disappointment and frustration.

As others mentioned, it should be cyclical. You spend up in years when things are coming together, then pull back as players age and after you win something, like at least a playoff series.

The Reds should have had a top-10 payroll for Joey Votto's prime years - say 26-33. Then pull back for a few years. This should always be the strategy when they manage to develop a generational player.

Instead, they fumble around year to year with no real plan beyond making money.

[Old school 1983]

Let’s just say for the sake of argument. If the Reds started using their resources competently and built a winner, would anyone really care what the payroll was?

[Wonderful Monds]

Let’s just say for the sake of argument. If the Reds started using their resources competently and built a winner, would anyone really care what the payroll was?

I mean kind of yeah. It’s sort of like the Rays are usually good, but they could probably perennially be Dodgers good with even a middle of the pack payroll. The ability to pay for good players is always going to make your team better, no matter what.

[Old school 1983]

I mean kind of yeah. It’s sort of like the Rays are usually good, but they could probably perennially be Dodgers good with even a middle of the pack payroll. The ability to pay for good players is always going to make your team better, no matter what.

The history of baseball, especially the FA era, is littered with high spenders who have crashed and burned. That’s why the competence means more to me than the dollar amount once it gets over a certain threshold. The Reds generally spend more than enough to have a winner. Assemble the team competently. If they start doing that and still aren’t able to get over the top ill say start spending more. The Reds generally spend near double of some teams that find consistent success. With a competent FO that sticks to a plan, the Reds could easily be that Dodgers version of the Rays you mentioned. They took that first step and trimmed the fat off the roster. People can go in circles all day about the moves, but the only real loss was Winker. The Reds now have a loaded farm and young players maturing at the MLB level as we speak. Couple that with payroll to spare in the coming years, and the Reds could very well be that team you mentioned.