The Cincinnati Reds have named David Bell their new manager, the team announced Sunday morning.
Bell, who was the farm director for the San Francisco Giants, was among finalists for the Toronto Blue Jays’ open managerial position, according to Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi.
Joe Espada (Houston Astros bench coach), Rocco Baldelli (Tampa Bay Rays major-league field co-ordinator) and Brandon Hyde (Chicago Cubs bench coach) are believed to be among the other finalists for the Blue Jays job that became open when the team parted with John Gibbons at the end of the regular season.
Each of those candidates has garnered some level of interest from other MLB clubs on the hunt for a new manager, including the Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Angels and Baltimore Orioles.
Bell, 46, agreed to a three-year deal with the Reds, with a club option for 2022. His father Buddy is a former manager of the Detroit Tigers, Colorado Rockies and Kansas City Royals. The Bells will now become the fourth father-son duo to ever serve as MLB managers.
Prior to his role with the Giants, Bell spent three years as a bench coach with the St. Louis Cardinals and one year as their assistant hitting coach. He has also worked on the Chicago Cubs’ major-league coaching staff and managed four seasons in the Reds minor-league system.
Before all of that, the infielder played parts of 10 seasons in the majors with six teams, including the Giants and Seattle Mariners.
[relatedlinks]
