Reds Bench coach Brad Mills is retiring

The Reds announced a handful of changes to Terry Francona’s staff. Notably, bench coach Brad Mills has retired. Mills was one of two bench coaches this year, so the Reds were able to stick with Freddie Benavides (who also holds the title of field coordinator) without making an outside hire.

Cincinnati has made three additions to its staff. Mike Napoli will be given the title of assistant bench coach after spending last season in a vague role as a “staff assistant.” The Reds have also promoted Willie Harris to third base coach and hired Bill Haselman as their catching coach.

Mills, 68, is in a long-term relationship with Francona. He worked on Francona’s staff in Philadelphia, Boston and Cleveland until the 1990s. He spent most of that time as a bench coach. Mills himself managed the Astros for more than two years between 2010 and 2012, though a rebuilding Houston team won just 38.4% of their games during his tenure. He hadn’t been part of the MLB staff for a few seasons before returning last offseason when Francona retired to take over in Cincinnati.

Harris led Cincinnati’s Low-A affiliate in Daytona this past season. He is back on the Major League staff in the same position he held with the Cubs from 2020 to 2024. Cincinnati’s previous third base coach, JR House, left last month to take the same position with the Diamondbacks. Haselman is a former MLB catcher whose coaching career began with Francona’s Red Sox in the mid-2000s. He has extensive minor league management experience and was last part of a big league staff with the Angels in 2023.