Reds reward manager David Bell with 3-year contract extension

LOS ANGELES — The Cincinnati Reds, capitalizing on the momentum of a surprisingly exciting season, on Friday agreed a three-year extension with manager David Bell, keeping him at his position through the 2026 season.

Bell, 50, is in the middle of his fifth year at Cincinnati and the last of his previous contract. The Reds lost 100 games last year but experienced a dramatic reversal on the back of an exciting young squad who were 57-48 just half a game off first place in the National League Central. If they can fend off the Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago Cubs, they would become the first team in major league history to go from triple-digit losses to the division title from one season to the next.

“I absolutely love our players,” Bell said ahead of the Reds’ 6-5 win in the series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night. “I love our team, I love the direction we’re going and I have a really strong sense of where we’re going. We have a lot of victories ahead of us, a lot of success, and I’m really honored to be able to do that.” Do the job I love in the city of Cincinnati.

The son of longtime third baseman and former Reds manager Buddy Bell, Bell was born and raised in Cincinnati. He helped lead Archbishop Moeller High School to the 1989 baseball state championship and was drafted in the seventh round the following year. A twelve-year major league career was followed by four years as a manager in the Reds minor league system, which Bell implemented from 2013 to 2017 in coaching stints with the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Reds rehired Bell as their manager in October 2018 after he spent a year in player development with the San Francisco Giants. Bell then led the Reds to the playoffs during a COVID-19-shortened season in 2020 and an 83-win season in 2021 before struggling with a rebuilding team the following summer.

The Reds are now armed with an array of stunning young players, led by hard-shooting starter Hunter Greene and stunning young shortstop Elly De La Cruz. Players like Will Benson, Matt McLain, Spencer Steer and Andrew Abbott have also signed up in the big leagues and found success this season.

“I’m excited about where we are, I’m excited about where we’re going,” said Nick Krall, the Reds’ general manager. “Are we already there? No. We still have a lot to do. But at the same time, it’s been a lot of fun to see these players grow, these coaches grow and our team, our organization, get better, and that’s from small leagues to big leagues.