Reds sign Terry Francona as manager: sources

By C. Trent Rosecrans, Zack Meisel and Jenna West

The Cincinnati Reds are hiring Terry Francona as manager, league sources said Thursday.

The move comes after the Reds fired coach David Bell on Sept. 22 with a record of 76-81. Cincinnati finished the season 77-85, with backup coach Freddie Benavides serving as interim coach for the remainder of the season.

Francona, 65, returns to manager after 11 years and 921 wins with the Cleveland Guardians – the most wins by a manager in franchise history – after stepping down at the end of the 2023 season. During the latter stages of his tenure as Guardians, he battled heart, gastrointestinal and foot problems, resulting in extended absences in 2020 and 2021 and everyday challenges in the years thereafter.

He told Cleveland officials last August that he was resigning from his post so they could get a head start in finding his successor. The team chose Stephen Vogt, a first-time captain who led the Guardians to the American League Central title that season.

Francona ranks 13th in league history as a coach. Of the 12 before him, 10 are in the Hall of Fame. The other two, Dusty Baker and Bruce Bochy, are expected to join soon.

As his tenure as Cleveland's manager came to an end last fall, Francona dealt with the question of resignation. He said he found it difficult to imagine a leadership role anywhere else, but insisted he needed to spend some time away from the game to find out what lay ahead.

Francona spent the last year playing golf, attending University of Arizona basketball games and focusing on his health.

Now he's back with a team he played for in 1987 under coach Pete Rose.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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(Photo: Rick Osentoski / Imagn Images)