Reds fire Bell after 6 seasons

CINCINNATI (AP) — The Cincinnati Reds fired manager David Bell on Sunday night after six seasons.

The team announced the move hours after a 2-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, and named bench coach Freddie Benavides as interim manager for the final five games of the season.

“David provided the kind of steadiness that we needed in our clubhouse over the last few seasons. We felt a change was needed to move the Major League team forward. We have not achieved the success we expected, and we need to begin focusing on 2025,” President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall said on a statement posted on the Reds’ website.

With a week left in the season, the Reds are 76-81 and in fourth place in the NL Central, 13 1/2 games behind division champion Milwaukee. Cincinnati closes out the season with five road games. The Reds have a two-game series in Cleveland on Tuesday and Wednesday before closing out the campaign with three games in Chicago against the Cubs.

The 52-year-old Bell was hired by the Reds in October 2018. He had a 409-456 record over six seasons.

Under Bell in 2020, the Reds earned a postseason berth in his second season, which was shortened by COVID-19 to 60 games.

Bell becomes the third manager fired this season. The Chicago White Sox fired Pedro Grifol and three coaches on Aug. 8, just days after the team ended a 21game losing streak that tied the American League record.

The Seattle Mariners fired Scott Servais on Aug. 22, in the middle of his ninth season with the team.

Krall plans to speak to the media on Monday at Great American Ball Park.