How manager Bell put his stamp on the 2021 Reds
For as much as the Cincinnati Reds organization has evolved over the last decade, general manager Nick Krall said the role of the manager hasn’t changed that much.
On one hand, the Reds are making more data-driven decisions, tweaking the starting lineup more often and turning over the roster more frequently than they used to do. But according to Krall, the most important part of the job is the same.
“It’s all about managing the players in the clubhouse,” Krall said. “It’s just managing people.”
On Wednesday, the Reds announced that manager David Bell received a two-year contract extension.
Shuffling the lineup to give Tyler Naquin a shot
By the end of April, Reds outfielder Tyler Naquin, who had been filling in for players who were injured, ill or suspended, was hitting well enough that Bell wanted to give him more playing time, and so he found a way to get Naquin’s bat in the lineup while keeping Nick Senzel as a regular contributor.
Trusting Tyler Stephenson to play first base
When Joey Votto and Mike Moustakas both went on the injured list in the middle of May, the conventional options were to make Alex Blandino, Max Schrock or Mike Freeman an everyday starter at first base.
Instead, Bell gave catcher Tyler Stephenson his first regular playing time in MLB.
Stephenson now leads NL rookies with a .279 batting average.
Moving Jonathan India to the top of the order
For the first month of the season, the Reds had the best lead-off hitter in baseball in Jesse Winker, but in late April the Reds went on a seven-game losing streak as the offense struggled.
Jonathan India received an opportunity to hit at the top of the order. It was one of the most impactful lineup decisions Bell made all year.
Letting Tucker Barnhart find a rhythm with Wade Miley
It might have started out as a coincidence as Tucker Barnhart kept catching starting pitcher Wade Miley early in the season. Barnhart was in a platoon with Stephenson, but the Reds only faced opposing right-handed pitchers until July in Miley’s starts.
As a result, Barnhart was always catching Miley.