David Bell is sacked by the Reds after six seasons as manager; Freddie Benavides appointed interim | News, results, highlights, statistics and rumors

The Cincinnati Reds announced Sunday that they have fired manager David Bell.

According to Lance McAlister of 700WLW, the Reds named Freddie Benavides as interim coach for the final five games of the season. Replacement coach Jeff Pickler was also fired.

Reds president Nick Krall explained the decision to fire Bell during a press conference on Monday:

The 2020 postseason was the only one Bell reached during his time in Cincinnati, and the Reds lost 100 games in 2022 for the second time in franchise history. In 2023, the situation improved slightly as Bell led the Reds to an 82-80 record, prompting Cincinnati extend Bell through the 2026 season midway through the year.

Last year’s improvement led the Reds to believe they could contend for a division title and a postseason berth this year, but the 2024 season proved otherwise.

“David provided the stability we needed in our clubhouse over the past few seasons,” Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall said in a statement. “We felt a change was needed to move the major league team forward. We haven’t had the success we expected and we need to start focusing on 2025.”

Bell finished his six seasons with a record of 409-456. His 32 firings as a manager are also the most in franchise history.

The Reds’ interim manager, Benavides, has served the Reds organization in various capacities since 2007 and became Cincinnati’s first base coach in 2016. He was named bench coach before the 2019 season.

While the Reds’ search for a coach is still in its early stages, a name has already been decided. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported shortly after Bell’s firing that Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker was on Cincinnati’s radar as a replacement.

Although Schumaker hasn’t been fired yet, a 57-99 season for the Marlins seems to indicate that his time in Miami is coming to an end.