Bell spent the last six years as the manager of the Cincinnati Reds. The 52-year-old Cincinnati native was fired with one week left in the 2024 regular season, and he was replaced by longtime Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Guardians manager Terry Francona soon after.
The Reds were 76-81 when Bell got the boot, despite entering the year with playoff aspirations. It marked a step backwards for the club, considering they went 82-80 in 2023.
Bell led Cincinnati to a 409-456 record overall, which averages out to a 77-85 record per 162 games. The Reds strung together three winning seasons between 2020 and 2023, even making the playoffs during the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign.
That lone trip to the postseason didn’t bear much fruit for the Reds, though, considering they got swept out of the NL Wild Card Series by the Atlanta Braves.
Before he was skipper in Cincinnati, Bell spent one season as the St. Louis Cardinals’ assistant hitting coach and three as their bench coach. He was also the third base coach for the Chicago Cubs back in 2013.
Bell’s only experience in a front office role came in 2017, when he served as the San Francisco Giants’ vice president of player development.
As a player, Bell suited up for six teams over the course of his 12-year MLB career, including the Cardinals, Giants, Philadelphia Phillies and Seattle Mariners. The second baseman-turned-third baseman racked up 1,239 hits, 123 home runs, 589 RBI and a 15.2 WAR between 1995 and 2006.
Toronto is adding Bell to a front office that enters 2025 on thin ice. General manager Ross Atkins has been leading the Blue Jays for 10 years now, but they haven’t won a single playoff game since their back-to-back ALCS appearances in 2015 and 2016.
With All-Stars Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, Jordan Romano and Chris Bassitt set to hit free agency next winter, Bell is joining a franchise that is at a crossroads.
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