Former Chicago Cubs Third Base Coach Fired as Manager by Cincinnati Reds

The Chicago Cubs division rival Cincinnati Reds have parted ways with their head coach.

Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell (25) observes play in the second inning of a baseball game between the Chicago Cubs and the Cincinnati Reds, Sunday, Sept. 3, 2023, at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. / Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Chicago Cubs aren't the only team with issues around Major League Baseball.

Of those teams include the Cincinnati Reds, who sit at 76-81 and in fourth place in the National League Central.

Entering the year, the Reds, similar to the Cubs, were expected to have a decent showing. Instead, they've struggled, and as a result, have fired head coach David Bell, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.

The Cincinnati Reds fired manager David Bell barely a year after giving him a contract extension through the 2026 season.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) September 23, 2024

The decision to fire him isn't surprising. Cincinnati has now played well below average in two of their past three seasons.

"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," general manager Nick Krall said, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

Bell has connections to Chicago, as he served as the team's third base coach in 2013. The Cubs were one of the worst teams in baseball that year, finishing with a 66-69 record.

Despite those ties, this is also big news for the National League Central as a whole.

It'll be interesting to see who they sign in the offseason, as that move could impact Chicago moving forward.

Perhaps this could be the first of many moves around the division, even with the Cubs.

Chicago has some tough decisions to make regarding their own front office and coaching staff, most notably centered around Jed Hoyer.

If they decide to part ways with him, expect that to come in the coming weeks.

Similar to what the Reds did, it's better to do these things as early as possible.