Matt’s Take: Maybe it is time for David Bell to go, but that won’t fix everything

By Matthew McAdow
HCP columnist

Let me start out this article by saying that firing Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell won’t fix the issues up and down this Reds roster.  

Bell has a long tenure around the game of baseball and is highly regarded in the baseball community. However, his time in Cincinnati needs to come to an end, as someone has to take blame for the mediocrity.  

Fans are growing impatient, we all are tired of the same issues year after year, and honestly, this year has been by far the worst management from Bell throughout his managing career. As much as I hate to do this, let me vent.

Bell’s management is very much to blame for the loss on Sunday, as he decided to keep Spiers in the game in a tied game in the sixth inning, along with trusting Fernando Cruz yet again in a tense situation. Over the last month, opponents are batting .314 against Cruz, yet Bell keeps throwing him out there. I love Fernando, but you can’t keep managing this way.

Cincinnati’s run differential is second best in the division, yet they’re back and forth fighting in last place. While we can complain about one-run games all we want, the real issue is a lack of consistency at the plate. In 2023, the Reds had a winning record in one-run games, and I honestly believe blaming this is ignoring the fact that Cincinnati can’t bat consistently enough to plate runs when needed.  

From 2019 until now, Bell has continued the mediocre mentality. Of course, he has been dealt some bad cards, he’s been given bad teams, but a .470 win percentage speaks for itself.  

Firing Bell won’t fix this lineup. It won’t get Will Benson to come back to form, it won’t get Lodolo to look like he did pre-blister, it won’t magically turn this team into the Brewers. It would, however, send a message that this type of baseball is unacceptable in a baseball town with a rich history of winning decades ago.  

With the injuries to McLain, Friedl, CES, Williamson, Fraley, Candelario, Arroyo and many others throughout the campaign, it’s a shame to see what Cincinnati could be doing right now. However, none of that matters when other teams find ways to win with their numerous injuries.  

Sparky Anderson once stated “The players make the manager, it’s never the other way.” There is certainly some truth to that.  

Bell can’t snap his fingers for a good lineup. You are only as good as your players and remember, this team had Mike Ford, Nick Martini, Levi Jordan, Blake Dunn, Edwin Rios, Conner Capel, Bubba Thompson, Austin Slater, Jacob Hurtubise and many other sub-par players throughout 2024.  

With all of that being said, Bell is a fantastic players-coach. The players love the skipper and he seems to treat them all fairly. He was a 12-year MLB player, .257 batter, is a third-generation player in the big leagues, was a manager along with his father, and knows baseball more than anyone reading this article or writing it. Maybe instead of firing Bell it could be time to move him into a new position?  

All I know is he has a wealth of baseball knowledge, but when you lose the fans, the clubhouse, and now those who have backed him for years, change has to come. If they lose this next series, I don’t know how they keep him the skipper for the remainder of 2024. My wife would tell you I am the most impatient person alive, but in this case, I have been patient for quite some time…but my patience is gone.

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There is time, but it’s dwindling

With 51 games remaining, there is time to turn this around. Four games approaching against the Marlins should (key word) help Cincinnati approach .500. To get to 85 wins, Cincinnati would need to go 32-19 to end the season. That is less than winning 7 of 10 for the remaining 50-plus games. 85 likely would put Cincinnati very close to making the playoffs and their remaining schedule for August certainly isn’t the toughest, while also taking on Cardinals, Pirates and Brewers to make up ground. Winning four in a row against a horrible Marlins team would go a long way in regard to the momentum that Cincinnati needs to gain for the rest of the month.  

Do I believe Cincinnati can do it? Yes. Do I believe they will do it? No, as there has been nothing this season to show otherwise. The talent is there and there is enough of it to propel this team forward. Prove me wrong, Cincinnati, as I promise I am rooting as hard as anyone for this roster.  

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Hunter Greene should be in Cy Young contention

You may have read that and think I am crazy, but let’s dive into the numbers on just how great the Reds ace has been. And yes, Hunter Greene is an ace.

He is the first pitcher in the modern era to throw at least 30 innings with no more than 10 hits, no more than one run, all while starting in five games. (Read that again.)  

Greene has a 0.27 ERA in his last five starts. (Read that again, too.)

In the National League, per Bryce Spalding, Greene sports the best BAA, best bWAR, second best ERA, seventh most innings pitched, fourth most strikeouts and fifth best WHIP. Ignore his wins and losses, as that is the most useless statistic in baseball.  

An active 21-inning scoreless streak is something else. When is the last time you heard that from a Cincinnati pitcher?

Greene has a better WAR than Paul Skenes, has pitched nearly 50 more innings than Skenes, has more strikeouts, more wins, and both were All-Stars. With Skenes entering the season later on, I definitely think that needs taken into consideration, despite how dominant he has been.