David Bell’s next move is now one of the bigger open questions on the Reds’ former-manager circuit.
Bell has stepped down from his role with the Toronto Blue Jays, where he had spent the past two years after Cincinnati let him go with one week left in the 2024 season. In Toronto, he worked as assistant general manager with responsibility for player development and strategic planning. He told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, “I decided to step away and reassess where I can make the greatest impact, on and off the field.”
What comes next is unclear. A return to managing can’t be ruled out, but most of those jobs are already filled, and Bell’s 409-456 record is not exactly the kind that sends teams scrambling.
Before his run with the Reds, he had also coached for the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs, and he previously spent several years in the San Francisco Giants front office as vice president of player development.
Even so, with Buster Posey now in charge of baseball operations in San Francisco, that route looks unlikely.
The Giants also made a move involving a former Reds pitcher, designating Reiver Sanmartin for assignment. Sanmartin, who was claimed off waivers last November, missed a good chunk of the 2026 season with a hip flexor strain.
He debuted for San Francisco in June and spent time shuttling between the majors and Triple-A before finishing with a 4.22 ERA over 21⅓ innings. Because he is out of minor-league options, the Giants needed to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.
That situation could create another Reds angle. Sanmartin is expected to be claimed or traded in the coming days, and with Cincinnati short on left-handed relievers, a reunion would not be a surprise.
Elsewhere on the former Reds front, Dusty Baker and Lou Piniella landed on the Contemporary Baseball Era ballot for the Hall of Fame. Baker, who managed the Giants for much of his career before coming to Cincinnati in 2008, guided the Reds to the postseason in 2010, 2012 and 2013.
Piniella, meanwhile, led the 1990 Reds to a wire-to-wire World Series title. He needs 12 of 16 votes from the eras committee to get into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, with the results set to be announced on December 6.
In Other News...
Reds Bullpen Decision Just Got More Interesting With Francona Weighing In
Emilio Pagns offseason took another turn when he declined his player option with the Reds and headed back into free agency, leaving Cincinnati with a familiar late-inning question to sort through. Terry Francona, though, made clear the door is still open from the clubs side, pointing to Pagns value as a closer and the way he fit in the clubhouse during a season that had its share of uneven stretches.
Pagns 2026 campaign was a reminder of both the risk and the reward that come with bullpen arms. He had a rough start before settling in after returning from injury, and that late surge is part of why the Reds would like to keep the conversation going. For a team trying to stabilize the back end of games, his market now becomes one of the more interesting subplots of the winter. [Read more 🡒]
Sal Stewart Put Cincinnati In Position For Another Rookie Honor
Sal Stewart has put himself in position for another rookie honor, landing among the finalists for the Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger award in the utility player category. For Cincinnati, it is another sign that Stewarts first season carried real weight, even if the broader offensive profile does not look quite as polished as some of the other names in the mix.
The competition now shifts to the managers and coaches who will vote in the coming weeks, and Stewarts case is an interesting one. He brings the kind of production that jumps out quickly, while the advanced numbers suggest a more complicated comparison with the rest of the field, leaving the final decision to how evaluators balance raw output against overall offensive efficiency. [Read more 🡒]
Two Reds Bats Just Put Cincinnati In The Silver Slugger Spotlight
Major League Baseballs Silver Slugger finalists list gave the Reds a notable boost, with Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart both landing among the leagues top bats at their positions. De La Cruz is in the shortstop mix, while Stewart earned a spot as a utility finalist, a reminder that Cincinnatis lineup is starting to draw real national recognition beyond just the box scores.
The winners will be determined by MLB managers and coaches, which gives the honor a different kind of weight than a fan vote or a hot streak. For the Reds, having two players in the conversation is the kind of late-season recognition that reflects both star power and lineup depth, with the final call still to come later this month. [Read more 🡒]