Former member of the historic Seattle Mariners team fired as manager of the Cincinnati Reds

Former Seattle Mariners third baseman David Bell was fired as manager of the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday. He had been with the Reds for six seasons.

According to @MLB on social media:

The Cincinnati Reds announce that they are replacing coach David Bell, effective immediately. Coach Freddie Benavides will serve as interim coach for the remainder of the season.

Ironically, the Reds gave Bell a three-year contract extension just last season, meaning they'll have to pay two years' salary for him. Cincinnati is one of the most disappointing teams in baseball this year, with a 76-81 record, but Bell can hardly be blamed for that.

First, the team was without standout shortstop Matt McLain for the entire season, and Noelvi Marte sat out the first 80 games of the year because of a PED suspension. In his six years, he posted a 409-456 record. He had a winning record, leading the Reds to the playoffs in the COVID-shortened 2020 season and also posted an 82-80 record in 2023.

As a player, Bell spent 12 years in the major leagues with the Philadelphia Phillies, Mariners, Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants and Milwaukee Brewers.

He spent parts of four seasons in Seattle and was part of the history-making 2001 team that won 116 games. He reached the ALCS with the M's in both 2000 and 2001 and hit a total of 47 home runs with the Mariners. In Seattle, his batting average was .262.

Several managerial positions are expected to open up this offseason, so Bell should have more chances to get a job if he wants it.

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