The Cincinnati Reds reportedly have a brand new supervisor, and it appears like an early house run of a rent.
In keeping with a report from MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, the Reds are bringing Terry Francona out of retirement to handle the group, and an official announcement may come as early as Friday.
The 65-year-old Francona most just lately managed the Cleveland Guardians earlier than stepping away following the 2023 season.
Together with Cleveland, he additionally managed the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Pink Sox, successful World Sequence with the latter throughout the 2004 and 2007 seasons. He additionally led Cleveland to the 2016 World Sequence the place it misplaced to the Chicago Cubs in seven video games.
Francona can be changing David Bell who was fired by the group lower than two weeks in the past.
Whereas it might not be a cure-all for a group that completed the 2024 season in fourth place within the Nationwide League Central, Francona is without doubt one of the most revered managers in baseball and brings immediate credibility to a franchise that badly wants it.
The Reds have simply three successful seasons and just one playoff look over the previous 11 years, and even that playoff look got here throughout the shortened 2020 season with an expanded playoff. They had been solely two video games over .500 (31-29) that season.
The Reds have among the best younger gamers in baseball in shortstop Elly De La Cruz, however have to do considerably extra work round him to make the group aggressive. Francona is a pleasant first step.
The excellent news is the Nationwide League Central is an especially winnable division that’s there for the taking with just a bit little bit of effort from possession and administration. Maybe being keen to exit and get one of many prime managers obtainable is an indication that the Reds are severe about that.
