One year after stepping down as Cleveland Guardians’ manager, Terry Francona is returning to manage the Cincinnati Reds, according to MLB.com insider Mark Feinsand.
BREAKING NEWS: The Reds are hiring Terry Francona to be their new manager, per source. Announcement expected as soon as Friday. https://t.co/JYmdYMD8Ro
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) October 4, 2024
Report: Reds to Hire Terry Francona as New Manager
After six years at the helm, the Reds fired manager David Bell on September 22nd. Bench coach Freddie Benavides filled in as the interim manager for the final five games of the 2024 campaign.
Francona initially announced his hiatus from the game on October 3, 2023, after 11 seasons with the Guardians. The 65-year-old is a three-time Manager of the Year winner, a three-time pennant winner, and a two-time World Series champion with the Boston Red Sox. Francona has a managerial record of 1,950-1,672 (.538 winning percentage). He also managed the Philadelphia Phillies for four seasons from 1997-2000.
The Reds finished with a 77-85 record in 2024, a year after finishing third in the NL Central at 82-80. It was a disappointing effort from a ballclub that was expected to take a step forward this season. Still, with budding stars like Elly De La Cruz, Hunter Greene, and Spencer Steer, the Reds possess some of the tools to succeed, especially in a division as wide open as the National League Central.
Could Francona be the Missing Piece?
The hire of Terry Francona may be just what this young Reds club needs to take that leap and become a playoff team in 2025. After all, Francona is 13th on the all-time wins list and will likely become the 13th member of the 2,000 wins club as soon as next summer. In 2004, he took a scrappy Red Sox team and led them to a World Series title that broke an 86-year championship drought for the franchise.
While it’s not quite 86 years, the Reds are in a lengthy drought, having not won a championship since 1990. The club hasn’t even appeared in the postseason since the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season. Before that, it hadn’t been since the 2013 Wild Card Game. They haven’t reached an NL Division Series since 2012.
Additionally, Francona has ties to the organization, having played in 102 games for them in 1987. Although Francona mainly stepped away from the game due to health issues, his return to the sport he loves would suggest he’s healthy enough to help guide the Reds to their first postseason berth in five years in 2025.
Photo Credit: © Louis Walker III/Special to the Newport Daily News / USA TODAY NETWORK
