Cincinnati reds suspended manager David Bell today.

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The Cincinnati Reds have a talented bullpen that they revamped this offseason in free agency. Why then does it feel like David Bell lacks urgency when it comes to using it?

Bell has been noted by players and people who cover the team as a player manager. He prides himself on building trust with players and showing that trust through allowing a player to work through their struggles.

However, it appears as though trust may have put many games in jeopardy during the Seattle Mariners series. Frankie Montas allowed three runs in the first inning of game one despite throwing 45 pitches. To his credit, Montas was permitted to come back for the second and completed a 1-2-3, 12-pitch inning. But it ought to have been plenty when he walked the first player he faced in the third inning. As an alternative, he was left in, gave up a home run to the following hitter, and was replaced by Nick Martinez.

Although the circumstances were different in Wednesday’s game, Bell followed through in the same way. It was absent from Lucas Sims. After toiling for more than thirty pitches in order to record two outs, the Mariners had already decisively won the previously closely contested game. Rather than use his rather well-rested bullpen, Bell stayed with Sims. Ultimately, he walked four hitters, with some pitches appearing utterly uncompetitive.

Bell has been on the record as saying there is a pitch count he believes a pitcher cannot recover from, yet he seemed to ignore this in two separate instances. The Reds have the guys in the bullpen to call on. If one pitcher doesn’t have it, move on to the next.

Could he be trying to make up for managing the bullpen the way he did in 2023? If so, that decision could be costing the Reds in key moments.