The Blue Jays announced the hiring of former Reds manager David Bell as their vice president of baseball operations and an assistant general manager. Ben Nicholson-Smith and Shi Davidi of Sportsnet reported the news (on X) before the club announcement.
“Bell will oversee the Player Development and Physical & Mental Performance departments, while also contributing to Major League strategic planning decisions and advising on player evaluations and acquisitions,” Toronto announced in a press release. Bell becomes the third assistant GM under Ross Atkins in the baseball operations hierarchy. Michael Murov and Joe Sheehan also hold that title. Former Astros general manager James Click plays a key role as vice president of baseball strategy.
The 52-year-old Bell moves back into player development after six seasons in the dugout. Bell has experience in that capacity, as he worked in the Giants’ player development department in 2018. The Reds hired him to manage going into the ’19 season. The Reds went 409-456 during Bell’s managerial run. Their only postseason appearance came in the expanded field in 2020.
Things looked to be trending up when the Reds surprisingly won 82 games in 2023. They took a step back this year and Cincinnati fired Bell in the final week of a losing season. They coaxed Terry Francona out of retirement at the start of the offseason. Bell’s contract with the Reds ran through the 2026 season.
That’s what the Jays need – more executives. There’s your missing piece. Problem solved.
Hmm, interesting… or not. I’m not really sure.
I honestly never thought bell belonged in the majors at any capacity. This is as bad as any move I’ve ever seen the jays make !
Mental performance- his first year as manager he got thrown out of more games than any major in MLB history (WOW)
Player development- the reds youth is loaded ! Who did he develop ? Lodolo is making 2 mil in his first arb season which is a clear example of lack of development when a premier college pitcher is barely making more than league minimum in arb.
Strategic Planning – in 6 seasons in cincy the only time he met standard was a 2 month period toward the end of the 23 season
Acquisition- who did the reds acquire under his leadership that’s worthy of note ?
Crazy hire ! Him and Atkins must be besties
I am not exactly a Bell fan either, but player development is a different department as manager. They are supposed to be ready when they hit the bigs and it is obvious a lot of these guys aren’t. It is not like they are rushed, either.
Bell worked in player development for the Giants a while back, for what it’s worth.
The person in charge of most of those guys development in Cincinnati since the horrible 2020 draft has quickly moved up to the top job. He’s not good at that either.
Your player development comment is misplaced. But let’s assume Bell was responsible for Cincy’s player development: you really cherry-picked by just referencing Lodolo. A wiry, lefty pitcher struggles with injuries early in his career… Who’s ever heard of such a thing???
Never mind that Hunter Greene is a star, EDLC is a star, Mark McLain looked great before his shoulder injury, and then Stephenson, Steer, Abbott, Diaz, India, and Friedl are all pretty good homegrown players. And that doesn’t include CES or Marte, whose 2024 was a lost year for their respective reasons.
So, if Bell were to get credit for the Reds’ player development, it could be argued he’s a superstar of the craft!
As long as Shapiro and Atkins and LaCava and Click are there, the BlueJays are winning nothing.
Bell is not moving the needle to winning a WS.
jimmertee;
Mr. Shapiro is a bureaucrat. He has a history of giving jobs to baseball people that are related to people he likes to keep them afloat financially and keep them in the game. He makes up job titles. He’s in a competitive business that he runs like the US Federal government and Canada’s government. When something goes wrong no one can find who the responsible person(s) is/are…so after the problem is talked about for a while, it’s forgotten.
What does Don Mattingly do? Whose toes is he stepping on? Other then sit in on meetings and give his opinion to someone, what does Mr. Click do?
Lots of people like Shapiro. Including the local media – who he’s always generous to….the key to good pub.
The Jays may not be winning anything, but they’re selling entertainment and if you’re a baseball fan in Canada this is where you have to go……at least until the Savanna Bananas show up for a game.
Hope he can keep his temper in check
Why doesn’t it link to his baseball reference page?
Next Jays Manager when Schneider gets fired?
Must be nice to be paid by the Reds while you join the new team and get paid as well. I wonder how that works for taxes. Does he have to pay taxes in Toronto on the Reds salary?
Unfortunately being VP of Baeseball Ops does not usually allow one to come out of the dugout and argue with umpires. Because that’s about the only thing I ever thought that Bell brought to the table as a manager, arguing a lot with umpires.
Seems like a lot of management layers for a team that has underperformed.
Seems like he got fired to a better job. The poor guy. Wish somebody would have done me like that before I retired. Way to land on your feet dude!