Terry Francona reportedly returning to baseball as manager of Cincinnati Reds
BOSTON -- Terry Francona did not stay retired for long. The former Red Sox skipper -- who brought a pair of World Series titles to Boston -- has reportedly been hired by the Cincinnati Reds to be their next manager.
Francona's hiring, which was first reported by MLB.com's Mark Feinsand and ESPN's Jeff Passan, is expected to be officially announced by the Reds on Friday.
Francona last managed the Cleveland Guardians from 2013-2023, stepping down after last season due to health reasons. The 65-year-old owns a 1,950-1,672 record for his managing career, which started with the Philadelphia Phillies (1997-2000) and really took off during his eight-year run with the Red Sox.
It was 20 years ago that Francona led the Red Sox to the franchise's first World Series crown in 86 years, when Boston swept the St. Louis Cardinals in the Fall Classic. That came after the team's historic 0-3 comeback against the New York Yankees in the ALCS.
The Red Sox and Francona won another World Series in 2007 when they swept the Colorado Rockies. Boston made the playoffs in five of Francona's eight seasons, as he finished with a 744-552 record with the Red Sox. Only Hall of Famer Joe Cronin has more wins as Red Sox manager with 1,071.
Francona is the winningest manager in Cleveland history, going 921-757 over his 11 seasons with the club. Cleveland made the playoffs six times with Francona on the bench, including a trip to the 2016 World Series, where the Guardians lost to the Chicago Cubs in seven games. He was the American League Manager of the Year three times in Cleveland.
Francona is replacing David Bell in Cincinnati, who was fired after six seasons and a 409-456 record with the Reds.