Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell is starting to fill out his coaching staff, poaching a pitching coach from a division rival:
Pitching coach Derek Johnson is reportedly leaving the Brewers to take the same position with the Reds, a source confirmed to MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon. MLB Network insider Ken Rosenthal was the first to report the news. The club has not confirmed the hiring.
Johnson spent the past three seasons as Milwaukee’s pitching coach, and he had a key role in developing pitchers Jhoulys Chacin, Chase Anderson, Jimmy Nelson and Wade Miley. He now assumes the challenge of turning around the Reds’ staff, which ranked among the worst in baseball this season.