Cleveland Guardians start offseason by bringing back Terry Francona

Retaining Francona Was the Right Move for the Guardians

The Guardians had the youngest team in Major League Baseball in 2022. They entered the season with fairly modest expectations, and exceeded even the wildest predictions from the most optimistic Cleveland fans. They won 92 games on their way to winning the AL Central Division easily, pulling away from any potential competition with a scorching hot stretch run in which they relied heavily on rookies.

Francona’s messaging to his coaches, staff and players throughout the entire season was impeccable. He relied heavily on the leadership of the team’s two biggest stars – José Ramírez and Shane Bieber – to set a tone of professionalism and playing hard for 27 outs (or more when needed). This led to the growth of Cleveland’s rookies, many of whom mentioned looking up to these leaders as they navigated a long season and exciting postseason run.

Beyond that, Francona’s management of players showed that he still runs the clubhouse. Two examples stick out. The first is Myles Straw, a heralded center fielder who unexpectedly struggled offensively throughout the season. Despite the offensive struggles, Francona continued starting Straw, knowing that his defense still created a net plus, and he could afford to let Straw work through his slump. The patience and encouragement paid off, as Straw’s bat finally started to come around late in the season. The dividends of Francona’s management of this situation will continue to pay off in future years.

The second situation that showed his relationship with his players was that of reliever Bryan Shaw. Shaw did not make the Guardians’ postseason roster, as Cleveland’s young bullpen was full of live arms who had grown into a dominant force throughout the season. However, even after being designated for assignment on October 1, Shaw stayed with the Guardians, agreeing to an outright assignment to the minor leagues. He stayed with the Guardians, reportedly playing cards in the locker room with Francona, and giving interviews along with the team. He knew that his expertise and experience could be a benefit, and Francona navigated a very awkward situation in releasing a well-known and liked veteran late in the season while keeping the benefit of his leadership. This type of people management is invaluable throughout long seasons.

Francona’s Playoff “Mistakes” Were Overblown

Much has been made over Terry Francona’s supposed mistakes in the 2022 playoffs. These centered on his use of challenges, specifically using challenges liberally early so they were not available late, and missing a challenge in Game 4 against the New York Yankees. There was also discussion about pitching decisions, including his management of the bullpen – avoiding his biggest relievers when the Guardians were down in a close game – and starting pitching decisions, such as not going to ace Shane Bieber on short rest in Game 5 in New York.

While it is fair to second-guess and wonder what could have happened if different decisions had been made, all of these “mistakes” need to be taken in context. First, in the context of a much larger body of work, Francona has to be given some measure of the benefit of the doubt.

Beyond that, the Guardians’ management of replays was impressive this year. In the playoffs, the rules change and an additional challenge is given to each team, allowing them to be used more liberally. We also need to remember that challenge recommendations are relayed to the manager, who has to rely on very quick decisions by the replay team. Using replay more liberally in the playoffs is both understandable and expected, and one mistake should not overshadow a much larger body of success.

As for the pitching decisions, it is hard to second-guess Francona. He managed the bullpen just about perfectly all season, leading a very young and inexperienced group to be consistently dominant by putting pitchers in positions to succeed and not being afraid to make changes when needed. Bieber has long been known as a creature of habit, and has seen his velocity decrease. Aaron Civale was added to the ALDS roster to start, and Francona was able to quickly pivot when it became clear that he was not going to give the Guardians the best chance to win the deciding Game 5.

Francona’s History Makes Him the Ideal Fit

Cleveland fans may take Francona for granted, but the authority, leadership and stability that he has brought to a mid-to-small-market franchise is incredible. He is the longest-tenured manager in baseball, having been with Cleveland since 2013. During that time he has led them to six playoff appearances, to Game 7 of the World Series in 2016 and to this year’s amazing season. He has won the Manager of the Year award twice during that time – in 2013 and again in 2016. Maybe more impressive is in those 11 seasons, the Guardians have had a winning record in ten of them (the lone exception being an 80-82 record in 2021).

For his career, Francona has 1,874 wins and a .542 winning percentage across 22 major-league seasons with three clubs. Wherever he has gone, he has brought credibility and stability, and he has never left on bad terms. With so many young players, and the growth seen this season, searching for a new leader in the clubhouse would have been an unfortunate and unwelcome change. Guardians fans are lucky to have Tito.