These last few weeks of the Cleveland Guardians’ season may end up being the last few weeks of Terry Francona’s managerial career as well.
The Guardians manager Francona spoke with reporters on Tuesday and appeared to drop a major hint about his future plans.
“I’ve tried to [evaluate my situation] probably the last couple months a lot,” said Francona, per Jeff Schudel of The News-Herald. “And I’m not always pleased with the answer I’m getting. [I feel] kind of beat up.”
Schudel further characterized Francona’s comments as a suggestion that Francona is contemplating retirement after the 2023 season.
Francona, 64, is the sixth-oldest manager in Major League Baseball right now (behind Dusty Baker, Bruce Bochy, Brian Snitker, Buck Showalter and Bud Black). He has struggled through a number of health problems in recent years, including a brief hospitalization earlier this season that forced him to miss games. Francona also missed significant time during the 2020 season after undergoing multiple surgeries to address a blood-clotting issue.
With the Guardians far out of the playoff picture at 59-66 and Francona’s contract expiring after the season, it is fair to question what the future holds for him. He is a three-time AL Manager of the Year who has 1,933 career victories (13th all-time) and won two World Series titles as manager of the Boston Red Sox. If this is indeed Francona’s final MLB season, he can retire with a job very well done.
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