In a move that was becoming more inevitable with every loss that piled up — and currently there are 15 of those losses in Cincinnati’s first 18 games, and ten of the last eleven — the Reds announced today that manager Bryan Price has been fired, as well as pitching coach Mack Jenkins:
The Reds have announced they are replacing manager Bryan Price and pitching coach Mack Jenkins. Effective immediately, bench coach Jim Riggleman is interim manager, Louisville manager Pat Kelly is bench coach, and Pensacola pitching coach Danny Darwin is major league staff.
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) April 19, 2018
Later in the year, the team will conduct a thorough managerial search for a permanent replacement. #Reds
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) April 19, 2018
Price has been manager of the Reds for four-plus seasons, during which time the Reds have compiled an underwhelming 279-387 record. Not all of the blame for that losing record should be dumped on Price, as he was handed a Reds roster in the midst of a rebuild and was forced to do the best he could with the cards he was dealt. Ultimately, however, Price’s curious use of the bullpen and strange lineup decisions caused even the most optimistic of fans (we know who I am talking about here) to question his fitness as a big league skipper. As Steve noted here, things are very likely to improve in Cincinnati at this point, but it’s not necessarily because Price is gone.
Bench coach Jim Riggleman will take over as interim manager of the Redlegs; Riggleman has a career record of 662-824-1 as a manager of the San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners, and Washington Nationals. He has never led a team to a first place finish.
Pat Kelly, who has a couple of weeks under his belt as the manager of the Triple-A Louisville Bats — after spending three years at the helm of Cincinnati’s Double-A Pensacola affiliate — will take Riggleman’s role as bench coach. Pensacola pitching coach Danny Darwin has been named “major league staff,” whatever that means.
Encouragingly, the Reds have hung a strictly “interim” tag on Riggleman, and they intend to conduct a full and thorough search for a manager. The Nation wishes Price and Jenkins the best of luck in their future endeavors.