Mike Bell is the Twins’ new bench coach, the club announced on Tuesday. Bell has been with the D-backs for the past 13 seasons, including the past three as their vice president of player development.

Bell replaces Derek Shelton, who earned his first MLB managerial job with the Pirates on Dec. 4. Bell also interviewed for the Pittsburgh job this offseason, and the Mets’ managerial vacancy that went to Carlos Beltrán. Bell interviewed for the O's and Rangers’ managerial vacancies last offseason as well, which were eventually filled by Brandon Hyde and Chris Woodward, respectively.

This will be Bell’s first dugout position at the Major League level, but his lack of dugout experience isn’t necessarily off-brand for the Twins. The club has operated on the unorthodox with its coaching hires under president of baseball operations Derek Falvey.

Last offseason, the Twins hired pitching coach Wes Johnson directly out of the University of Arkansas, and he was believed to be the first pitching coach to make a coaching jump directly from college. Minnesota also promoted assistant pitching coach Jeremy Hefner from advance scout directly to the Majors. Hefner has since been lured away by the Mets to be their new pitching coach.

The Twins also promoted Minor League field coordinator Edgar Varela, who had no Major League coaching experience, to hitting coach earlier this offseason, with the expectation to work on an organizational hitting philosophy.

The 45-year-old Bell was widely praised for his work in Arizona, where he rose through the ranks of the D-backs' farm system, overseeing and maintaining relationships with the organization's affiliates. He began his tenure in Arizona as manager for Class A Short-Season Yakima in 2007 and Class A Advanced Yakima '07-08. Bell also served as Arizona’s Minor League field coordinator in '10 and was the club’s farm director from '11-16.

Bell, who was drafted in the first round by the Rangers in 1993 and has 27 years of professional baseball experience, carries three generations of baseball roots. He is the younger brother of Reds manager David Bell, the son of former Tigers, Rockies and Royals skipper Buddy Bell and the grandson of 15-year Major Leaguer Gus Bell.