We’ll have a lot more on David Bell and the Reds hiring him as the week unfolds. Here’s the post from a couple weeks ago that lays out the basics on Bell. Its conclusion:

“Like the players he’s in charge of, Bell has developed. He’s immersed himself in analytics and the waves of brand new information available to help baseball teams win. He has worked in two organizations — the Cubs and Cardinals — that eat, breathe and sleep modern approaches to baseball. The day-to-day experience as bench coach for the Cardinals is a strong credential for Bell that postdates his time in Cincinnati.

All that said, this post isn’t a campaign for David Bell. It’s not even a modest call for him to be hired.

John Farrell may be a superior candidate. So might any number of other, yet unknown and unconsidered, applicants.

Here’s the point: It would be wrong for the Reds to select a manager based on past connections with the organization or current family ties in the front office. But it would be equally misguided to reject an otherwise qualified candidate because he does.

In this case, it would be a mistake for we fans to dismiss David Bell as an insider. Bell has had valuable recent experience with other organizations. For years, I’ve been clamoring for the Reds to pick-off a young coach who has worked closely with a successful analytics-emphasizing organization. David Bell fits that description.”