Reds announce Terry Francona hire and reveal contract details

The Cincinnati Reds have hired Terry Francona to be the team's next manager. After reports emerged on social media Thursday night, the Reds made it official on Friday morning. Francona and the Reds have agreed to a three-year deal with a club-option for the 2028 season. Financial details were not made available.

Francona will be taking over for David Bell following his dismissal as the Reds manager with five games left in the 2024 season. Cincinnati had high expectations coming into this past season, but the team failed to meet those goals and ultimately ended the season with a record of 75-87.

Bell had three winning seasons during his tenure as the Reds manager, but only took his team to the playoffs once, and that was during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season when the postseason was expanded to 16 teams.

Reds announce Terry Francona hire and reveal contract details

Francona, unlike Bell before he was hired in 2018, has plenty of managerial experience. Francona, who's affectionately known as Tito, spent 23 seasons as a big league manager before stepping away from the game after the 2023 season. Francona has a win-loss record of 1950-1672, three pennants, and two World Series titles.

In a press release, Francona mentioned that he was excited and honored to be chosen to lead the Reds into next season. Both Reds President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall and team owner Bob Castellini professed their faith in Francona's ability to bring winning baseball back to the Queen City.

Francona will certainly have the athletes to get it done. Cincinnati's roster features the likes of Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Elly De La Cruz, and Jonathan India. The Reds were picked by many to win the NL Central this past season, but injuries, poor base base running, and sub-par defense led to their demise.

The Reds fanbase is excited to have a proven winner like Francona leading the charge, and are hopeful that hiring a future Hall of Famer will lead to a return to the playoffs in 2025.

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