Cincinnati Reds Explain David Bell’s Firing and Name Freddie Benavides as Interim Head Coach.
The Cincinnati Reds dismissed manager David Bell on Sunday night after six seasons, following a 2-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Bench coach Freddie Benavides has been named interim manager for the final five games of the season.
“David provided the kind of steadiness we needed in our clubhouse over the last few seasons, but we felt a change was necessary to move the Major League team forward. We haven’t achieved the success we expected, and it’s time to focus on 2025,” said President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall in a statement.
With only a week left in the season, the Reds hold a record of 76-81 and sit in fourth place in the NL Central, 13.5 games behind the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers. Their remaining schedule includes five away games: a two-game series in Cleveland followed by three games against the Cubs in Chicago.
David Bell, 52, was hired in October 2018 and finished with a record of 409-456. Under his leadership, the Reds made the postseason in 2020 during the shortened season and finished 2021 with a respectable 83-79 record, earning second baseman Jonathan India the National League Rookie of the Year award.
However, the team faced challenges, including a 100-loss season in 2022 and injuries that sidelined players for a record 650 games in 2023. Despite starting the season with high expectations, the Reds struggled with consistency, experiencing both an eight-game losing streak and a seven-game winning streak.
Bell is the third manager to be fired this season, following the dismissals of Pedro Grifol by the Chicago White Sox and Scott Servais by the Seattle Mariners. Krall is expected to address the media on Monday at Great American Ball Park.
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