The Cincinnati Reds have fired manager Bryan Price after a 3-15 start this season. After five seasons with the Reds, Price has an overall record of 279-387 and has never brought the team to the playoffs.
The Reds released a statement Thursday morning, adding that pitching coach Mack Jenkins is also out. Jim Riggleman, the bench coach, will be named the interim manager. The Reds also said in their statement they will not be searching for a new manager until “later in the year.”
The 3-15 start is the second worst in Reds history through 18 games, with the worst being 2-16 in 1931. The .419 win percentage under Price’s watch is the worst in the MLB since 2014, the year Price was hired. It is also the lowest in franchise history for managers that spent three or more season with the team.
“We felt we had to act now. We couldn’t afford to wait,” general manager Dick Williams said during a conference call. “I know it seems early to some people and it certainly is early in the regular season, but … we’ve had a lot of chances to observe this group together and see them get off to the start we’d hoped, and it wasn’t there.”
The bad start for the Reds could also have something to do with major injuries that have struck. Anthony DeSclafani, the team’s top starting pitcher, is out with a strained oblique. Another pitcher, Brandon Finnegan only has one start this year and is out with a biceps injury. Also injured are third baseman Eugenio Suarez with a broken thumb and right fielder Scott Schebler with a bruised elbow.
Riggleman certainly has his work cut out for him, and his focus will be “to really put an exclamation point on the details of the game.” The Reds have the lowest record in the league and are already 8.5 games back from Pittsburgh in the NL Central.
“We’ve got to show up for work every day,” Williams said. “They’ve got to have a sense of urgency to win that day. They have to play the game hard and play it smart and play it right. We have to get this team playing that way because we know they have the ability to do that.”
Also joining the Reds staff is Pat Kelly, who will be replacing Riggleman as the bench coach. Kelly had just been named manager of the Triple-A affiliate Louisville Bats for this season. Double-A pitching coach Danny Darwin has also been brought up to the majors.
Paul Helmers
Sports Editor