CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Reds have fired manager David Bell, the team announced Sunday night.
Bell, 52, was in his sixth season as the Reds manager. He went 409-456 in those six years with just one playoff appearance, in the COVID-shortened 2020 season when the team lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Atlanta Braves.
The Reds are 76-81 this season following Sunday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Bench coach Freddie Benavides will serve as the interim manager for the final five games of the season.
“David provided the kind of steadiness that we needed in our clubhouse over the last few seasons,” Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall said in the team’s press release. “We felt a change was needed to move the Major League team forward. We have not achieved the success we expected, and we need to begin focusing on 2025.”
The Reds entered 2024 as a favorite in the National League Central following a surprise 83-80 season in 2023. The Reds dealt with multiple injuries in spring training, including to second baseman Matt McLain and center fielder TJ Friedl. The team also dealt with the suspension of rookie third baseman Noelvi Marte, who served an 80-game suspension after testing positive for a banned substance.
The Reds entered May 16-14, but went 9-18 that month, losing eight straight games from April 30 to May 9.
A year after going 34-29 in one-run games, the Reds are just 15-27 in one-run games this season.
Bell is a native of Cincinnati and graduate of Moeller High School, the alma mater of Hall of Famers Ken Griffey Jr. and Barry Larkin. The son of five-time All-Star Buddy Bell, he’s the third generation of Bells to wear the Reds uniform, joining his grandfather Gus, father and brother Mike, all of whom played for the Reds. David Bell played parts of 12 seasons with Cleveland, St. Louis, Seattle, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Milwaukee.
Required reading
(Photo of David Bell: Sam Greene / The Enquirer / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
