Terry Francona will return for an 11th season as Cleveland’s manager, Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said Friday.
Francona guided the Guardians to the American League Division Series in 2022 before the club lost to the New York Yankees in five games.
Francona, 63, doesn’t have a signed contract with the club at this point. Antonetti said determining how long Francona wants to run the club is part of the process.
“We want Tito to manage as long as it makes sense to him on his end,” Antonetti said.
Francona has struggled with health issues in recent years. He missed parts of the 2020 and 2021 seasons but was able to avoid a serious health issue during the 2022 campaign.
Cleveland went 92-70 this season, marking the sixth 90-win campaign in Francona’s tenure. The Guardians swept the Tampa Bay Rays in the wild-card series before falling to the Yankees.
Francona has an 845-671 record with Cleveland and managed the club to the 2016 World Series before it lost in seven games to the Chicago Cubs. The Guardians have made the playoffs in six of his 10 seasons.
Francona previously won two World Series titles (2004, 2007) with the Boston Red Sox during an eight-year stint that ended in 2011.
He also managed the Philadelphia Phillies from 1997-2000.
Overall, Francona has a 1,874-1,586 record in 22 seasons as a manager.
–Field Level Media