Terry Francona buried the hatchet with former pupil amid fierce Reds' position battle

The hiring of Terry Francona was met with acclaim across Reds country, but one player may not have been so thrilled by the announcement. Will Benson played under Tito in Cleveland and went from first-round pick to bench player to trade bait in just one season. Luckily, Francona and Benson have both taken strides to rectify any hurt feelings and turn over a new page.

Francona told reporter Charlie Goldsmith this week that he had apologized to Benson for not putting him “in a position to succeed” when the outfielder made his big-league debut in 2022. In just 28 games as a bench outfielder that season, Benson managed just 10 hits and struck out in nearly ⅓ of his plate appearances.

Reds skipper Terry Francona buried the hatchet with Will Benson, whom he managed in with Guardians

The lack of success drove the Cleveland Guardians to deal Benson to the Cincinnati Reds for Justin Boyd, a prospect who has yet to reach Double-A. For a time, the trade seemed like a shrewd move for Cincinnati. Benson put together an outstanding season in 2023, hitting .275/.365/.498, but his abysmal 2024 has once again put his spot on the roster in jeopardy. A renaissance would relieve many concerns about the Reds' questionable outfield.

For his part, Benson has been nothing but complimentary about the Reds’ new skipper. He praised Francona’s leadership in an interview with MLB Network shortly after the signing. The accountability and fundamental baseball that Tito demands from the squad will be particularly crucial for Benson’s continued success.

Benson has elite speed and solid defense, which fit right in with Francona’s approach with the Reds. His bat-to-ball skills, though, are not strong enough to keep him in the crowded outfield picture. Despite being in the top 25% of big leaguers in barrel rate, walk rate, and chase rate, Benson was in the absolute bottom in squared-up rate, whiff rate, and strikeout rate.

In other words, Benson’s keen eye is not translating to batted balls. Something is going on with his swing timing, and perhaps his new batting stance and a renewed relationship with Francona will help him take a step forward in 2025.

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