It seems that the Cincinnati Reds pursuit of Terry Francona began soon after the position opened and the legendary manager remained at the top of a 100-person deep list from beginning to end.
After taking a big step forward in 2023 and winning 82 games a season after losing 100, there was a lot of hope about what the Reds could do in 2024. Unfortunately, this year’s team struggled to hover near .500 and ended up only winning 77 games this season.
Related: Cincinnati Reds linked to trade for 3-time All-Star
Nevertheless, the shared opinion around MLB is that the team has a very nice young core with serious upside. It’s why the organization took the bold step of firing manager David Bell just days before the close of the season. It seems that the decision was beneficial and may have helped them quickly find his replacement last week.
On Friday it was reported that the Cincinnati Reds planned to hire former Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Guardians manager Terry Francona to be their next skipper. The news was met with much surprise since health issues forced him out of the same role with Cleveland in 2023. It also seems the Reds were not very confident they would land him either.
Terry Francona record: 1,950-1,672
In a column on Saturday, Cincinnati.com reporter Gordon Wittenmyer revealed new details on the franchise’s process to find their new manager. It seems it originally started with a list of 100 names. Put together by team president Nick Krall and general manager Brad Meador following Bell’s dismissal. Francona was at the top of their list from the start.
Krall reportedly reached out to Francona early in the process but was met with lukewarm interest. But the pair still did a deep dive into Francona’s background and quickly realized he was the person they wanted most. Despite talented former Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker being on the market.
“The more work we did through Chicago, not only was he at the top of the list, but he’d really separated himself,” Meador told the outlet. “We thought if he’ll sit down with us, we had to go out there [to his home in Tuscon, Arizona].”
Freddie Benavides had a serious chance at becoming Cincinnati Reds full-time manager
In a matter of four days, he went from a top choice to the only choice. And by the fifth day, they had agreed to make him the franchise’s 65th manager. Wittenmeyer revealed that glowing reviews from the Cleveland Guardians — the team Francona still technically worked for — played a major role in the decision-making. And it wasn’t long before they got permission to talk to the two-time World Series winner.
“Potential candidates such as former Marlins manager Skip Schumaker, former Cubs manager David Ross, and manager-in-waiting Will Venable on the Rangers’ coaching staff remained in the wings,” Wittenmeyer wrote. Furthermore, the organization was impressed by a round of interviews with interim manager Freddie Benavides as well.
In the end, in-person interviews helped solidify the idea for both sides. Then Cincinnati Reds owner Bob Castellini made the trip out to Tuscon to also meet Francona and finalize a deal late last week.
Related: 25 best MLB players of all time