Reds hire Bell from Giants system to be manager
Three weeks after ending the 2018 season, the Cincinnati Reds picked David Bell as the 63rd manager in franchise history.
Reds owner Bob Castellini will introduce Bell at a press conference at 11 a.m. Monday.
“He’s a tough guy, tougher than people think,” Castellini told the Cincinnati Enquirer on Sunday. “He’s smart. He’s done everything in baseball. He’s been a player, a coach. He’s been in player development.
“I like the way he handles himself. He’s a one-on-one person.”
Bell, 46, is a Moeller High School product. He just completed his first season as the San Francisco Giants’ farm director. As Reds manager, he agreed to a three-year contract with a club option for 2022.
The Reds interviewed at least 12 candidates for their managerial decision before selecting Bell. He was one of three candidates, along with Joe Girardi and Brad Ausmus, who received second interviews in the past week. Ausmus was named the Los Angeles Angels manager Sunday.
Bell was reportedly a finalist for the Toronto Blue Jays job and interviewed with the Texas Rangers.
The Reds reportedly wanted former New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who withdrew from the search Friday and will remain in his TV job with MLB Network.
“He wanted another year off,” Castellini said.
Bell was a third-generation major leaguer and had a 12-year playing career. His grandfather Gus is in the Reds Hall of Fame and his dad, Buddy, is a senior advisor in the organization.
Once Bell manages his first game, it will be the fourth father-son pairing to serve as managers in MLB history. His dad previously managed the Detroit Tigers, Colorado Rockies and Kansas City Royals.
Ausmus was named the Angels’ manager, moving from the front office to the dugout to replace longtime skipper Mike Scioscia.
General manager Billy Eppler announced the hiring of Ausmus, who served as his special assistant last season. Contract terms were not released.
Scioscia had held the job since the 2000 season, winning the Angels’ only World Series title and becoming the winningest manager in franchise history. He left the club earlier this month after 19 seasons and 1,650 victories.
Ausmus, 49, likely represents a philosophical shift from Scioscia, who was widely perceived as an old-school manager despite his public embrace of new baseball mentalities. After Scioscia’s departure three weeks ago, Eppler said he wanted the Angels’ new manager to be well-versed in analytics and probabilitybased decision-making.
Before joining the Angels’ front office, Ausmus spent four seasons as the Detroit Tigers’ manager from 2014-17. The Tigers won the AL Central in his first season but went just 314-332 in his tenure.