Oct 21, 2018 3 min read

David Bell has been hired as manager of the Cincinnati Reds, tasked with helping turn around a team that skidded to a 67-95 record and last-place finish in the NL Central.

The Reds said Sunday he has been given a three-year contract that includes a team option for 2022. The 46-year-old Cincinnati native is to be introduced at a news conference Monday.

The Reds fired Bryan Price after a 3-15 start, and Jim Riggleman was interim manager for the rest of the season.

Bell was a minor league manager for the Reds from 2009-12, became the Chicago Cubs’ third base coach in 2013, St. Louis’ assistant hitting coach the following year and the Cardinals’ bench coach for the next three years. He was San Francisco’s vice president of player development last season.

Bell and his father, Reds front-office executive Buddy, become the fourth father-son duo to serve as major league managers, joining George and Dick Sisler, Bob and Joel Skinner, and Bob and Aaron Boone. Buddy Bell managed the Detroit Tigers (1996-1998), Colorado Rockies (2000-2002) and Kansas City Royals (2005-2007).

David Bell becomes the 63rd manager in Reds’ history. Hours after his hiring was announced, the Los Angeles Angels said they named Brad Ausmus their new skipper. That leaves the Baltimore Orioles, Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays with managerial openings.

Bell, a former infielder, was selected by the Cleveland Indians in the seventh round of the 1990 draft and made his major league debut in 1995. He played parts of 12 seasons in the majors with the Indians, Cardinals, Seattle Mariners, Giants, Philadelphia Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers.

Angels get Ausmus

Brad Ausmus was named the Los Angeles Angels’ manager on Sunday, moving from the front office to the dugout to replace longtime skipper Mike Scioscia.

General manager Billy Eppler announced the hiring of Ausmus, who served as Eppler’s special assistant last season after four years as the Detroit Tigers’ manager.

Ausmus got a three-year contract with the Angels. He will be introduced at Angel Stadium on Monday.

Scioscia had held the job since the 2000 season, winning the Angels’ only World Series title and becoming the winningest manager in franchise history. He left the club earlier this month after 19 seasons and 1,650 victories.

But after finishing 80-82 for the second consecutive year, the Angels are coming off three straight losing seasons overall for the first time since 1992-94. Los Angeles has played only three postseason games in the past nine seasons, losing them all in 2014 after winning the AL West.

While both men had lengthy careers as big league catchers, the 49-year-old Ausmus likely represents a philosophical shift from Scioscia, who was widely perceived as an old-school manager despite his public embrace of new baseball mentalities.

After Scioscia’s departure three weeks ago, Eppler said he wanted the Angels’ 17th manager to be well-versed in analytics and probability-based decision-making. Ausmus was not known to be thoroughly reliant on data during his up-and-down tenure in Detroit, but he clearly sold Eppler and owner Arte Moreno on his willingness to evolve into the modern manager that the Angels want.