Ex-Red Sox manager Terry Francona coming out of retirement to manage Reds

After a year away from the game, former Red Sox manager Terry Francona is coming out of retirement to join the Cincinnati Reds.

News broke of Francona’s hire late Thursday night, and the Reds officially announced the move Friday, saying the two sides had agreed to a three-year contract with a club option for 2028.

Francona, a three-time Manager of the Year, has managed 23 seasons in the big leagues dating back to 1997, including four years with the Philadelphia Phillies, eight years with the Red Sox and 11 years with the Cleveland Guardians. He enjoyed his greatest success in Boston, where he led the Red Sox to two World Series championships — including the historic 2004 title that ended the club’s 86-year drought.

He currently ranks second on the franchise’s career wins list with a 744-552 record behind only Hall of Famer Joe Cronin, and his .574 win percentage ranks second among Red Sox managers who managed at least four seasons (Don Zimmer, .575).

After leaving the Red Sox he went on to became the winningest manager in Guardians franchise history, leading that franchise to within a game of its first World Series title since 1948 in 2016. Cleveland wound up losing in seven games to the Chicago Cubs.

Francona stepped away from the game after the 2023 season citing health issues, but as a baseball lifer he now has a chance to get back to doing what he loves.

The 65-year-old will also now have a chance to become the 13th manager in MLB history to reach 2,000 career wins. He is currently 1,950-1,672 in his career, trailing only Bruce Bochy (2,171) among active managers. All of the other managers with more wins who are eligible are enshrined in Cooperstown, with Bochy and Dusty Baker locks to earn induction as soon as they are eligible.