Terry Francona, a renowned name in baseball, recently made a significant move. Just over two months after being introduced as the Cincinnati Reds' manager, he was seen at the check-in desk of the Hilton Anatole hotel with a navy blue wheeled suitcase bearing the embroidered red Art Deco-inspired “C” of the Cleveland Guardians. This suitcase holds a story of his baseball journey.

Taking a Break and Focusing on Health

When Francona walked away from the Guardians after the 2023 season, there seemed no need for new luggage. However, in the 14 months that followed, he took a year off. During this time, he watched a lot of baseball but never thought about managing the games. Instead, he enjoyed the sport like a fan. Francona mentioned that he had a good year during his time off. The only time he even considered managing again was when he was looking after his grandkids while his daughters were in Europe. But in front of the reporters, he was back in his element. His year away from baseball was focused on his health. It has been 11 months since he had a surgery, which he believes might be a record since he tore his knee as a player with the Expos in 1982. His list of ailments and surgeries is quite extensive and rivals his accomplishments in the game.

Meeting the Reds' Stars

With his health in check, Francona has already visited the Dominican Republic to meet with the Reds' biggest star, shortstop Elly De La Cruz. He also met with their highest-paid position player, infielder Jeimer Candelario, and a young player, Noelvi Marte, who had a tough year. Francona said, "They remind me a lot of Cleveland a couple years ago, young, athletic, they seem like really good kids. I think they want to get good. You like to think you could make a difference."

Building the Coaching Staff

Francona put together a coaching staff that includes eight holdovers from the previous staff and Brad Mills, his college teammate, friend, and former bench coach with both Boston and Cleveland. He and Mills also went to Laredo, Texas, to talk with Freddie Benavides, who was the only other candidate to interview for the job. Benavides, 58, agreed to join the staff along with Mills, sharing the title of bench coach.

Preparing for the Upcoming Season

This past week, Francona and his coaching staff met in Cincinnati to start preparing for the upcoming season. Francona said, "I think it reinforced some things. I think our guys want to be coached and maybe want to be held to maybe a higher (standard) — you know, things that will help us get better." The Reds have young talent but struggled defensively in the past couple of years and were sometimes overly aggressive on the bases. Francona's peers see him as someone who can handle any kind of team. He has succeeded in both big (Boston) and small (Cleveland) markets, with veteran and young teams alike. His experience is expected to make a difference for the Reds, who entered the 2024 season with high expectations but ended up with more questions than answers. Pat Murphy, who won the National League Central in his first year as the Milwaukee Brewers manager and was named Manager of the Year, said, "I think he's one of the greats myself." Francona's replacement in Cleveland, Stephen Vogt, won this year's American League Manager of the Year award, and Matt Quartaro finished second. Both Vogt and Quartaro coached under Francona and have great respect for him. Quartaro said, "He's an ultimate difference maker from top to bottom. Everybody's included. I remember when he hired me, it was a feeling of — that was the biggest decision they were going to make that winter was hiring me as an assistant hitting coach. He has the ability to welcome people, teach people. You're going to learn a lot just by watching him and listening to him."