CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Reds are hiring Terry Francona as their manager. Francona agreed to a 3-year contract through the 2027 season with a club option for 2028.
MLB.com's Mark Feinsand first reported that Francona will come out of retirement one year after leaving the Cleveland Guardians to take over the Reds next season. Cincinnati fired David Bell in September following a disappointing 2024 season that once again saw the team miss the playoffs.
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Francona retired after the 2023 season, his last home game being a 4-3 win over the Reds. Now 66, "Tito" dealt with health issues towards the end of his tenure in Cleveland. He missed most of the 2020 season and had to step away for part of the 2021 season.
He is the winningest manager in Guardians history and 13th on the career list. Before his time in Cleveland, Francona won two World Series titles with the Boston Red Sox — including the 2004 championship that ended the Curse of the Bambino.
Before becoming a manager, he played in the MLB — including right here in the Queen City. After he was released by the team that drafted him, the Montreal Expos, Francona signed one-year contracts with several teams, including the Reds, Brewers and Cubs.
“I am so excited and honored to join an organization with the tradition and history of the Cincinnati Reds," Francona said in a press release. "I only played one season for the Reds in 1987 but in that season, I learned that Cincinnati is a great baseball city. I want to thank Bob Castellini, Nick Krall, and Brad Meador for giving me this opportunity to manage the Reds. I can’t wait to start meeting and interacting with these good young players of ours.”
"Terry is a future Hall of Fame manager that has experience winning with young talent," Reds President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall said. "I’m extremely excited that he wanted to be a Red, and he is the right person to take us towards our goal of winning a championship."
When announcing Bell's firing, Krall said that Bell is one of the "nicest" and "most genuine" people in the league, but noted that he felt the team underperformed in 2024. Francona will be tasked with developing a young but talented roster with plenty of promise.
“Terry’s proven track record speaks for itself. He is an outstanding manager who will lead our Club forward.” said Bob Castellini, Reds Principal Owner and Managing Partner. “The Reds and all of Reds Country are proud to welcome Terry to Cincinnati.”
