Terry Francona plans to manage Guardians in 2022 despite health issues

Terry Francona has failed to finish each of the last two seasons due to health issues. That is not stopping the 63-year-old from planning to return in 2022.

Francona made clear that he is recovering from a staph infection in his left toe, and he has every intention of managing the Cleveland Guardians next season.

“I told Chris (Antonetti) in August, ‘Hey look, the minute you feel you need to move on, you will never once hear a peep out of me,'” Francona told Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe. “‘I get it. Don’t let our relationship get in the way, because it’s not fair to you.’ He said, ‘As long as you are OK, we want you to come back.'”

Francona added that he is still in a walking boot due to foot surgery several months ago. His staph infection was severe enough that there was talk about amputating his foot, but it never came to that.

Francona’s health issues in 2021 were clearly quite severe. The same was true of what he endured in 2020, when gastrointestinal issues also prevented him from seeing out the season. With a record of 753-601 as Cleveland’s manager, it is understandable that the organization would want to stick by him in spite of it all.