David Bell was signed to a three-year contract extension by the Cincinnati Reds Friday evening. The news came shortly before the team kicked off their road series vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The #Reds and manager David Bell have agreed to a contract extension through the 2026 season. pic.twitter.com/ihMTVb4U9F
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) July 29, 2023
2023 had been the final year of Bell’s current contract with the organization. After a successful four months this year, the Reds front office felt David Bell was deserving to stay longer. Was the decision to keep the 50-year-old skipper a good one?
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David Bell Locked Up For Three More Years in Cincinnati
David Bell has held the title of Reds manager since the beginning of 2018. In his five seasons with the club, he holds a 307-343 record. Although the record is a sore point to look at, Bell hasn’t had much to work with since getting into town. Outside of 2020-2021, the Reds have been in rebuild mode with Bell at the helm. Not having the best major league rosters, like in 2018 and 2019, hasn’t made his job any easier. Yet David Bell has found a way to stay afloat.
David Bell said he’s thrilled with the process, the coaches and the direction the Reds are going in. They’ve been discussing an extension for the last few weeks.
Nick Krall said this year was about growing. “We’ve done that.”
— Charlie Goldsmith (@CharlieG__) July 29, 2023
During his tenure with the Reds, David Bell has shown maturity in his managerial skills. There aren’t as many head-scratching decisions, unnecessary double switches, or emptying the bench every other day. Now with young talent being brought into the Reds clubhouse, Bell has been able to expand his abilities as a manager and really show what he can do with a solid team in front of him. Cincinnati is looking to become the first team in the history of Major League Baseball to lose 100 games in one season and follow it up by winning their division the following year. Bell has been able to do that with a battered pitching staff and a young, rookie-filled lineup.
Conclusion
David Bell has been in Cincy for five years. During those five years, there has been more bad than good as far as results on the field. With the rebuild appearing to be nearing the end of the tunnel, Bell had guided the ship through the rough waters. Giving him the opportunity to manage a contending team is the right move from the front office. 2023 is a good year by which to gauge Bell as well. With little to no expectations heading into the year, nobody imagined a world with the Reds in the postseason. Now, with good young talent present, Bell has the chance to show what he can do. So far this season, he has passed the test, and now he has been rewarded.
This new phase the Reds are heading into won’t be easy for a manager. People now expect the Reds to win. When you expect a team to win, you expect their manager to be one of the top in the league. If David Bell lasts the length of his new contract, he will be the longest-tenured manager for the Reds since Sparky Anderson. Although he hasn’t always been a fan favorite, he has grown on many. The task before him now is to keep moving forward to lead the Cincinnati Reds in the right direction.
Photo Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
Managers Mentioned: David Bell, Sparky Anderson
