The Reds have to fire hitting coach Alan Zinter, right?

David Bell signed a contract extension last September that will keep him as the Cincinnati Reds manager through the 2023 season. Of course the organization could decide to terminate Bell's contract, but that seems unlikely.

No matter who the manager was, the 2022 Reds team would have been fortunate to have won 70 games. But that doesn't mean that the entire coaching staff will return in 2023. In fact, it would irresponsible to shake up the clubhouse in some way, shape, or form.

The Reds ranked 13th in the National League and 26th in the majors in OPS this past season and only one playoff team (Seattle Mariners) had fewer hits than Cincinnati in 2022. For these reasons, and so many others, it's time for Alan Zinter to be shown the door.

The Reds have to fire hitting coach Alan Zinter, right?

Alan Zinter had a very brief major league career playing for both the Houston Astros and Arizona Diamondbacks and also played overseas for the Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball.

Zinter's coaching career began in 2008 as part of the D-Backs organization, and after four years slugging it out in the Arizona minor league system, he was promoted to be Cleveland Indians' minor league hitting coordinator in 2012.

Zinter was then hired as the Astros assistant hitting coach in 2014 and then landed with the San Diego Padres in 2016 as the team's hitting coach. Zinter was fired from that post less than two years later. It's probably time for the Cincinnati Reds to do the same.

That said, the Reds were among the top teams in baseball last season in terms of doubles, home runs, and OPS. So is it really the fault of the hitting coach or are there much larger problems at work here? Any team that loses Eugenio Suarez, Jesse Winker, and Nick Castellanos is going to have a hard time putting runs on the board.

Still, with the up and coming talent likely to arrive in the Queen City next season, it would be wise for the Cincinnati Reds to have a coaching staff in plan that can develop younger players. Seeing the lack of production from players like Nick Senzel and Jose Barrero can't instill a lot of confidence.