Reds Feel Francona Makes Them Contenders

The news came out of the blue in October – the Cincinnati Reds were luring Terry Francona out of retirement.

It was a move that nobody outside the Reds’ organization saw coming. There were no rumors ahead of the move, not even a hint that Francona would wind up in Cincinnati.

Oh, there had been rumblings that Francona was getting bored in retirement. He had stepped away from the Cleveland Guardians following the 2023 season, capping an outstanding 11-year run by saying he needed time away from the game away to enjoy himself and improve his health.

Francona took care of his medical issues – he has had over 40 surgeries in his life – lost 25 pounds and played a lot of golf. So, when Reds President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall called Francona at the end of last season, he decided to hear what Cincinnati had to say.

Many people in baseball thought that if Francona returned to the dugout it would be with a large-market team after reaching the postseason six times with Cleveland despite having rosters constructed on a tight budget. However, he was quickly won over by Krall and other members of the Reds front office when they visited Francona’s home in Tucson, Ariz.

“That was one of the first things that jumped out to me when they came out to Tucson to talk to me. It just felt good quickly,” Francona said. “I caught myself a few times saying ‘we’ early on. I had to kind of grab myself and go, hey, wait, slow down here. You're a half-hour into it.

“It’s really similar to how I felt when I went to Cleveland. I didn’t leave Cleveland because I was mad at anybody. I left because I didn’t think I was doing the job the way you're supposed to. Having a year to maybe get a little healthy and feel like I can do the job the way you’re supposed to, then you align yourself with people that you know kind of have your back and you’ll have theirs. That's appealing. Even on good teams you’re going to get challenged a ton, but going through it with people that you care about, I enjoy that.”

Krall told Draft Nation that he felt a strong connection with Francona almost immediately.

“Just the way he interacts with people, treat people, is really amazing,” Krall said. “He makes you feel comfortable right away. It’s easier to see why he has such a great reputation for being able to connect with people.

“He’s tremendous. He’s a lot of fun and he has good insight and good input into a lot of things. It’s been really easy conversations. It’s been great to have a guy you know – and he’s going to be a Hall of Fame manager – is somebody who can maximize our club’s talent and potential.”

Francona replaces David Bell, who was fired with a week left last season. Bell led the Reds to the postseason during the 2020 pandemic-shortened season – their first playoff appearance since 2013 – but finished with a 409-456 record in just under six years.

The Reds were disappointed last season with a 77-85 record but feel they are ready to take a step up and win their first National League Central title since 2012. They have a potential franchise player in shortstop in Elly De La Cruz and a potential No. 1 starter in Hunter Greene.

 Just 23, De La Cruz had an outstanding first full season in the major leagues last year, hitting .259/.339/.471 with 25 home runs and a league-leading 67 stolen bases in 160 games. He still needs to refine his game, though, as he led the league with 218 strikeouts and 39 errors.

“He’s one of the best athletes I’ve ever seen on a baseball field,” Krall said. “He loves the game. He loves to play, and he really loves to work at his craft and get better. It’s really been fun to watch him go from a guy who came over to the States, played rookie ball then move all the way up through our system and continue to get better. He’s only going to get better.”

Greene, 25, led NL pitchers with 6.3 bWAR last season while compiling a 9-5 record and 2.75 ERA in 26 starts. He also had a 1.018 WHIP and 169 strikeouts in 150.1 innings. Greene should also be around from the long haul with four years and $48.23 million remaining on his six-year, $53-million payroll.

De La Cruz and Greene give the Reds hope of contending this season along with many other young players like second baseman Matt McLain, third baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand, left fielder Spencer Steer, designated hitter Gavin Lux and left-handers Andrew Abbott and Nick Lodolo.

“There are always the same challenges,” Francona said. “We want to see how good we can get. When we lose, it will kill me. When we win, I’ll be fine. I’ve never found a way to gain perspective. I think it’s too late for that. That’s OK. I’m healthy and I want to be able to enjoy the challenges that come our way, knowing that we don’t know what they all will be.”