Reds may have already pushed Terry Francona toward one final decision

While it’s still too early to panic, it seems likely that the Cincinnati Reds are barreling to a forgettable and regretful season. FanGraphs puts the team’s chances at making the playoffs at 3.5%.

This Reds team, replete with injuries and unfulfilled potential, is certainly not what manager Terry Francona had in mind when he signed on to steer the ship for three seasons. It’s getting to the point where the skipper may decide to cut his losses.

The first year under Francona set up high hopes for the Reds. A return to the postseason (albeit a disappointing one) and another step toward superstardom for Elly De La Cruz suggested that the manager had unlocked something in Cincinnati.

Unfortunately, the 2026 team has sunk well below the .500 mark, which may force the Reds brass to start a sell-off ahead of the August 3 trade deadline. That, combined with the uncertain ongoing labor negotiations, would be reason enough for Francona to return to retirement.

Reds’ struggles & potential 2027 lockout may push Terry Francona out of baseball

Francona’s disappointment with the team has been evident for weeks. He’s called team meetings, he’s sounded off in the press, and he’s even said he's lost sleep dwelling on the Reds’ struggles. One has to wonder if this is not only mentally, but physically taxing on a man who stepped away from baseball once already due to health concerns.

To suffer through a collapse like that of the Reds is hard enough, but there’s also a possibility that there may not even be a full season next year. The MLB Players Association and Major League Baseball itself are miles away from an agreement.

Should a lockout happen next spring, Francona would essentially be forced into a temporary retirement. It’s not hard to imagine him opting to make his situation permanent rather than deal with the chaos of a truncated season.

As it stands, this is not the way that a future Hall of Famer goes out. Francona deserves better. He deserves the farewell tour and some dramatic victories. He deserves the kind of miracle run the Reds staged at the end of last season. He deserves to be with a winner one last time.

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