The Cincinnati Reds gave a vote of confidence to manager David Bell on Wednesday by rewarding him with a two-year extension. The contract will keep Bell with the franchise through the 2023 MLB season.
The deal was announced by Reds general manager Nick Krall, who told the media that Bell has “done a great job with the team we have right now.”
“We got to the playoffs last year, and we’ve had a great run this year, and we still have a chance,” said Krall after the 6-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday. “He knows how to run a clubhouse, and he knows how to run a dugout.”
Bell himself also confirmed the news to reporters and said that he also expects his coaching staff to return with him next season.
The Reds currently sit third in NL Central with a 78-74 record. They are 13.5 games behind the leading Milwaukee Brewers and four games behind the second-place St. Louis Cardinals.
David Bell took over the Cincinnati Reds in 2019, returning to the organization after six years. He previously served as manager for the Reds’ Double-A affiliate, the Carolina Mudcats, between 2008 and 2011, and as manager for their Triple-A affiliate, the Louisville Bats, between 2011 and 2012.
In his first season in Cincinnati, Bell led the Reds to a 75-87 record, the franchise’s best since 2014. He followed that up with a playoff appearance in shortened 2020 MLB season that saw the Reds make the postseason for the first time since 2013. They ended up being swept by the Atlanta Braves in the National League Wild Card Game.
