Former Reds manager Bell joins Blue Jays' front office

TORONTO -- The Blue Jays have made a major addition to their front office, hiring 12-year MLB veteran and former Reds manager David Bell as the club’s new vice president of baseball operations and assistant general manager.

Back in late 2018, as the Blue Jays moved on from John Gibbons to their eventual hire of Charlie Montoyo, Bell was one of several candidates who interviewed to manage the club before he took the Reds' job, which he held until late 2024. Now, Bell, 52, will take on a much broader role in the Blue Jays’ front office.

“Bell will oversee the Player Development and Physical & Mental Performance departments, while also contributing to Major League strategic planning decisions and advising on player evaluations and acquisitions,” the club said in a press release Friday evening.

While the Blue Jays’ front office has kept president Mark Shapiro and general manager Ross Atkins at the forefront since they joined the organization in late 2015, this represents another significant name joining their group in a similar role to the one once held by Ben Cherington, who was with the Blue Jays between his time with the Red Sox and taking over the Pirates in '19.

Former Astros GM James Click is another example of this, now working as the Blue Jays’ vice president of baseball strategy. Bell will now be the third member of the Blue Jays’ front office to formally hold the title of “assistant general manager,” joining Mike Murov and Joe Sheehan, but his involvement in player development feels like the most relevant piece of this announcement.

The Blue Jays’ farm system is more important than ever as this organization teeters on the edge of another competitive push and a potential rebuild. The future of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and this offseason’s spending will determine which side they tilt to, but either way, the Blue Jays need to get more high-level impact out of their prospects. While the club has many success stories to point to in the wave of infield depth that’s just arrived -- Will Wagner, Ernie Clement, Addison Barger, Leo Jimenez, Orelvis Martinez and others -- the organization desperately needs to develop more stars to raise this club’s ceiling.

Toronto’s pitching prospects have had a particularly rough year, led by former No. 1 prospect Ricky Tiedemann, who will spend at least the first half of 2025 recovering from Tommy John surgery. Injuries, particularly serious elbow injuries, plagued the Blue Jays this past season, and while some of that can be chalked up to poor luck, Atkins and the front office have spoken about the work they’re doing to identify any issues and improve upon that.

Prior to leading the Reds, managing in the Minor Leagues and working in player development with the Giants, Bell played parts of 12 seasons with Cincinnati, Seattle, St. Louis, Cleveland, San Francisco and Milwaukee. In 1995, he spent time with the Blue Jays’ current Triple-A affiliate, the Buffalo Bisons, who were then a Cleveland affiliate.