Terry Francona needed some time away from baseball. A year was long enough.
One of the game’s most beloved managers, Francona has been hired by the Cincinnati Reds, one of five teams he spent time with during his Major League Baseball playing career from 1981-90. Now his managerial career, which began in 1997 with the Philadelphia Phillies, is set to resume after he stepped down from leading the Cleveland Guardians after the 2023 season because of health reasons.
The hire was announced Friday by the Reds, the parent club of the Chattanooga Lookouts of the Class AA Southern League. Cincinnati’s release detailing the move said Francona has agreed to a three-year contract through the 2027 season with a club option for 2028.
Francona, who won two World Series titles with the Boston Red Sox, is replacing David Bell, who was fired by the Reds last month in the final days of his sixth season. Bell went 409-456 during his tenure.
Francona, who turns 66 in April, played as an outfielder for Cincinnati in 1987, when hit .227 with three home runs and 12 RBIs in 102 games. He said he was excited to lead a club with the history and tradition of the Reds, calling Cincinnati “a great baseball city” in the release.