Jonathan India: Terry Francona Hire 'Huge' For Reds: 'They Needed That Fire In Their Ass'

The Reds traded former National League Rookie of the Year Jonathan India to the Royals for Brady Singer in November.

The move came roughly seven weeks after hiring Terry Francona to be their manager.

India believes Francona is exactly what the Reds need to get over the hump and get back to the playoffs.

“The Tito hiring is huge for them,” India told Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “They need that. They need that discipline. They need that fire in their ass.”

From Elly De La Cruz to Hunter Greene, India knows what the Reds have on the roster.

“Because they have all the talent in the world. They have so much talent,” he said. “It just never panned out; it was always around .500."

Adding a World Series Champion manager like Francona cannot be overstated—at least for a young team like the Reds. He's expecting his former team to respond well to one of the top managers in baseball.

“They needed that fire in their ass. And he’s going to bring it for sure,” India said. “He’s going to keep everyone in check, keep everyone accountable.”

Check out Wittenmyer's entire conversation with India here.