Resurgent Reds reward Bell with 3-year extension

LOS ANGELES -- Manager David Bell, who has presided over a successful turnaround in Cincinnati, received a three-year contract extension from the Reds.

The deal that runs through the 2026 season was announced Friday night before the team faced the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

The Reds are currently 56-48 and 1 1/2 games behind first-place Milwaukee in the NL Central. They're trying to become the first team in major league history to win a division title after losing at least 100 games the previous season. They were 62-100 last year, tying Pittsburgh for last in the division.

In 2021, the Reds had a record of 83-79. In 2020, they were 31-29 during the pandemic-delayed season and earned their first postseason berth since 2013. The club had winning records in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2012-13.

Bell, a 50-year-old native of Cincinnati, was hired in 2018 on a three-year deal with a club option for 2022. In 2021, the team gave him a two-year extension through this year.

Bell is the son of former major leaguer and front office executive Buddy Bell.