The Cincinnati Reds lured Terry Francona out of retirement and named the two-time World Series champion as their new manager.
Francona managed the Cleveland Guardians for 11 seasons before stepping down after the 2023 campaign due to health issues. However, the opportunity to lead a talented Reds team was too good to pass, and he is now back in the dugout.
The Reds gave Francona a three-year deal with a club option for the 2028 MLB season.
After an underwhelming season that saw them go 77-85 and miss out on the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year, the Reds opted to fire manager David Bell. The front office, led by president of baseball operations Nick Krall, moved quickly to identify Bell’s replacement and first reached out to Francona.
Reportedly, Francona was eager to get back to baseball, and the deal between the two sides was quickly sorted out. The Reds reportedly also had an interest in ex-Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker, but the talks didn’t progress.
In Francona, the Reds get a manager with a proven track of winning. Francona won 1,950 games as a manager in MLB and has a .538 winning percentage in his stops with the Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox, and Guardians. He captured two World Series titles with the Boston Red Sox while winning the AL Manager of the Year award three times while with the Guardians.
