Hiring Terry Francona reveals sense of urgency Reds' fans have been begging for

The Cincinnati Reds pulled off a shocker late on Thursday night with reports emerging that Terry Francona will become the team's new manager. The Reds, of course, fired David Bell shortly before the 2024 season ended and had been searching for his replacement over the past two weeks.

Francona was seen by many to be a long shot. Names like David Ross and Skip Schumaker were floated during the early stages of the search and appeared to be the two most likely candidates to replace Bell in the Reds dugout.

But many die-hard Reds fans were hoping that Cincinnati would make an offer to the recently-retired Francona. No one has a better resumé than the former Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Guardians' manager. Francona has 11 playoff appearances during his 23 seasons as a skipper, a .538 winning percentage, three pennants, and two World Series titles.

Hiring Terry Francona reveals sense of urgency that Reds fans have been begging for

This isn't a status quo hire. Bringing in Francona is a signal that the Reds' front office and ownership recognize the state of franchise and are looking to win now. Cincinnati has a bevy of young stars like Hunter Greene, Elly De La Cruz, and Matt McLain, but the window for contention is a small one. If the Reds are going to find success and make a run at the World Series, they need to do so before these types of players reach free agency.

This is also the type of move that not only the fans were begging for, but the players as well. Jonathan India vented his frustrations following Bell's firing. India said that the team was tired of losing, and called out the Reds' long history of being stingy when it comes to spending money in free agency.

Obviously hiring Francona is step in the right direction, and many Reds fans will be excited to see how their new skipper handles the pitching staff and the clubhouse as a whole. But more than anything, this reveals that the Reds' front office and ownership share in the fans' frustrations.

The onus now shifts from the front office and ownership to the 26 guys in the clubhouse. The Reds players and fans wanted a proven winner, and they've got it in Francona. Now it's time to see it through and bring winning baseball back to the city of Cincinnati.

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