CINCINNATI, Oct. 4 (UPI) — Terry Francona is set to end his brief retirement from baseball to become the manager of the Cincinnati Reds.
Sources told ESPN, MLB.com and The Athletic about the hiring Thursday night.
Francona, 65, last served as manager of the Cleveland Guardians from 2013 through 2023. He stepped down last October. Francona has a 1,950-1,672 record over 23 years as an MLB manager.
Francona’s tenure started in 1997 with the Philadelphia Phillies and included an eight-year run with the Boston Red Sox, who won the World Series in 2004 and 2007.
Francona posted a 44-34 record in 11 trips to the postseason. He led the Guardians to the 2016 World Series, which they lost in seven games to the Chicago Cubs.
Francona also spent 10 seasons playing in MLB, including a 1987 season with the Reds. The former first baseman, outfielder and pinch hitter hit .274 over 707 appearances. He had a career-high .346 over 58 appearances in 1984 for the Montreal Expos.
The Reds fired manager David Bell on Sept. 22. Bell, 52, led the Reds to a 77-85 record and fourth-place finish in the 2024 National League Central division standings.
He took the Reds to a 409-456 record over six seasons, helping them reach the postseason during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He was hired in 2019 and received a three-year contract extension in July 2023. That pact was set to run through 2026.
Francona’s 1,950 wins rank No. 13 in MLB history.
