Terry Francona Weighs in on Reds' Front Office Promises During Hiring Process

One of the key questions surrounding the idea Terry Francona joining the Cincinnati Reds seemed to be about the aggressiveness of the front office. Would the organization be willing to add to the roster in free agency?

Francona dispelled that notion.

“Never even brought it up,” he said. “You’re going to hopefully find that you never hear me talk about payroll, things like that. What I care about is the players we have and trying to get them to be the best baseball team they can be. Whether they’re 20, whether they’re 30, or whether they’re 40. Their will never be an excuse when we play a game or lose a game on our youth or our payroll. Once the game starts, it doesn’t matter. I don’t want to be the general manager or the president. I just want to be the best manager I can be.”

The prerequisite doesn’t seem to have been there. Of course, the Reds have had meetings since Francona was introduced on Monday and they certainly have to add to the roster this offseason, but the two-time World Series Champion didn't bring it up during his 5+ hour meeting with Reds' brass before accepting the job.