MLB Insider: Why Reds parted ways with David Bell, games of the week and more

The next week will determine everything for a few playoff hopeful teams.

Currently, there are four teams vying for two wild card spots in the American League: the Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners. The Royals and Twins currently have wild card spots, but the Tigers are baseball’s hottest team and trail by only one game while the Mariners are 6-4 in their last 10 games and only two games back.

The National League, meanwhile, is very similar. There are three teams buying for two playoff spots, with the Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Mets both commanding the final two wild card positions while the Atlanta Braves trail by two games.

Here are some thoughts on the wild card battles and other things around baseball, all of which were discussed by Adam Weinrib and I on The Baseball Insiders.

Games of the Week

Mets vs Braves

This series could very well determine one of the wild card spots in the National League. The Braves are battered and bruised, but they have experience in the playoffs, and that could come in handy. What also helps Atlanta’s case: this series will be played in Atlanta and the Mets will very likely be without Francisco Lindor.

Padres vs Dodgers and Padres vs Diamondbacks

The Padres get two listings here because they have been on fire in the second half and face the Dodgers, who lead the National League West, by four games. They also face the Arizona Diamondbacks, who are two games behind them in the wild card race. Both are pivotal series and could either 1) get the Padres back into the division hunt or 2) ensure they are the top wild card team in the NL or 3) drop them into the second or even third wild card spots.

Bonus pitch from Adam Weinrib: Tigers vs Rays.

Why the Reds parted ways with manager David Bell

There were unconfirmed rumblings in recent weeks that the Reds could part ways with David Bell. And after the Reds made it official on Sunday night, team executive Nick Krall said the parting of ways was because of “philosophical differences.”

What all of those philosophical differences were are unclear. But among the reasons were the teams’ poor defense – they rank toward the bottom in baseball in most defensive categories – and baserunning miscues.

Thoughts on two struggling playoff teams

The Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Royals were two of the best teams in the American League during the regular season. And with the postseason on the horizon, both are struggling mightily.

The Orioles’ offense is struggling and their inexperience reared its ugly head on Saturday when Jackson Holliday couldn’t score from third base with one out on an Anthony Santander popup that had Trey Sweeney on the ground. One thing that the Orioles could use in the offseason is veterans, whether it's starters or bench players, to help guide the young core in Baltimore.

The Royals, meanwhile, are on a significant downturn. They have lost seven games in a row, most recently getting swept by the San Francisco Giants and getting outscored 11-1. Before that, they got swept by the red-hot Detroit Tigers and lost the final game of a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. They need to turn it around, and fast, otherwise their season will come to an abrupt end – whether it’s in the postseason or missing the playoffs altogether.

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work onThe Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop between now and the MLB offseason.