Reds manager David Bell deserves one more chance after being hung out to dry in 2022

Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell wasn't given a fair shake in 2022. While there are many throughout Reds Country who would have preferred to see Cincinnati relieve the skipper of his duties, Bell will be back for a fifth season in 2023.

However, not everyone from the coaching staff will return to the dugout. The Reds announced on Thursday that first base coach Delino DeShields, advance scouting coach Cristian Pérez, bullpen coach Lee Tunnell, assistant coach Rolando Valles and hitting coach Alan Zinter will not return next season.

A shakeup was necessary, but the Reds did the right thing by keeping Bell at the helm for at least one more season. The 2022 season was doomed from the start, and with the rash of injuries the team suffered throughout the season, it's kind of amazing they even won 62 games.

Reds manager David Bell was hung out to dry in 2022.

Let's be very clear; David Bell's team had no shot to win more than 70 games in 2022. And seeing as how some of his best players (Luis Castillo, Brandon Drury, Tyler Stephenson, Joey Votto, and Jonathan India) were either traded at the deadline or missed significant time due to injury, the Cincinnati Reds owe it to Bell to give him one more chance.

When you really step back and take an objective look at the players Bell has been given throughout his tenure in Cincinnati, he's yet to have what many would call a competitive team. The Reds did go all-in during the 2020 season with the additions of Mike Moustakas, Nick Castellanos, and Shogo Akiyama, but the coronavirus pandemic changed everything that season.

You're not going to be a playoff-contending team when your best position player is Kyle Farmer. No offense to the Reds infielder, but Farmer would be a role player on almost every 2022 postseason contender.

Will the Cincinnati Reds give David Bell the necessary players to at least be competitive in 2023? Fans shouldn't expect the team to go out and sign Xander Bogaerts or Aaron Judge, but maybe adding some decent bullpen arms and starting-caliber outfielder would be a place to start.

Legendary Reds player and manager Pete Rose was asked earlier this season about the job that David Bell was doing. Rose responded by asking the question, "What makes a good manager?" His response was simple, "Good players."