Terry Francona is coming out of retirement to take over as manager of the Cincinnati Reds, MLB Network and ESPN reported Thursday night.
The Reds plan to hire Francona, who stepped down from the same post with the in-state rival Cleveland Guardians after the 2023 season.
Francona, who battled health problems late in his Cleveland tenure, said at that time, “I need to go home and get healthy and see what I miss about the game. I don’t foresee managing again.”
He has dealt with stomach, hip and shoulder ailments as well as blood clots and a staph infection. A heart procedure kept him from managing at the 2017 All-Star Game, and health problems subsequently sidelined him for parts of the 2020, 2021 and 2023 seasons.
Still, the 65-year-old is set to take on his fourth major league managerial job. He will try to turn around a Reds club that missed the playoffs this year at 77-85 but has promising young talent in the form of Elly De La Cruz and Hunter Greene.
The Reds fired manager David Bell entering the final week of the regular season.
Francona is best known for guiding the Boston Red Sox to two World Series titles (2004, 2007), the first of which ended the club’s 86-year championship drought.
As the manager of the Philadelphia Phillies (1997-2000), Boston (2004-11) and Cleveland (2013-23), Francona is 1,950-1,672 all-time with three pennants. His 2016 Cleveland team lost to the Chicago Cubs in the World Series.
Francona played outfield and first base in the majors for the Montreal Expos (1981-85), Chicago Cubs (1986), Cincinnati (1987), Cleveland (1988) and Milwaukee Brewers (1989-90). hitting .274 with a .300 on-base percentage, a .351 slugging percentage, 16 homers and 143 RBIs in 707 games.
