The Cincinnati Reds are hiring Terry Francona to be their next manager, multiple sources confirmed Thursday.
Francona, who retired as Cleveland Guardians manager a year ago, replaces David Bell, who had been with the Reds since 2019 before getting fired Sept. 22.
The Reds’ new manager led the Red Sox to two World Series titles, winning the organization its first championship since 1918 in 2004, his first year in charge of the team. Boston and Francona won it again in 2007.
Francona led the Guardians to the AL Pennant in 2016, before losing to the Chicago Cubs in the World Series. His teams have made the postseason 11 times in 23 seasons.
Francona stepped down in Cleveland at the end of last season after battling health issues. He missed 46 of 60 games in 2020 because of stomach and blood clot troubles, and then 63 games in 2021 due to hip replacement surgery and another procedure on a staph-infected toe.
“It’s like every winter, I’m trying to get healthy for the season and then I get beat up,” Francona said last year, per MLB.com. “I need to go get healthy for life. This lifestyle is just too difficult.”
Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona on Tuesday filled out his coaching staff with four hires, including bench coach Brad Mills.
Eight members of last season’s coaching staff return, the team announced. Freddie Benavides, the bench coach under David Bell, will return as the bench coach/field coordinator. Also returning are third base coach J.R. House, first base coach Collin Cowgill, bullpen coach Matt Tracy, assistant pitching coach Alon Leichman, coach/coordinator of advance scouting Kyle Arnsberg and bullpen catcher José Duarte
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