10:01am: The Indians have now formally announced that both the 2019 and 2020 options on Francona’s contract have been exercised. The team also announced that Carlos Santana’s 2017 option has been exercised, as was previously reported yesterday and widely expected prior to that news.
9:15:am: The tweet in question has since been deleted, calling into question whether Francona’s options have or have not yet been picked up. The Indians had yet to make a formal announcement, though it remains entirely possible that such a move will ultimately come to fruition in light of the Indians’ excellent 2016 season.
9:00am: The Indians have exercised a pair of club options on manager Terry Francona that will extend his current contract through the 2020 season, reports Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (via Twitter). Francona’s previous contract with Cleveland had been slated to expire at the end of the 2018 campaign, but the team’s World Series run under his leadership prompted the club to make an even longer-term commitment in its skipper.
The 57-year-old Francona has been serving as Cleveland’s manager since the 2013 season, guiding the team to a winning record in each of those four seasons including a pair of 90+ win seasons and two postseason berths (this year’s World Series drive and a Wild Card loss in 2013). As manager of the Indians, Francona has compiled an impressive 352-294 record, with this most recent season undoubtedly representing his most impressive campaign.
The Indians not only made it to Game 7 of the World Series against the Cubs (where they took part in an instant classic) — they did so without their best player, Michael Brantley, for much of the season and did so in spite of an injury-ravaged rotation late in the year. Cleveland didn’t receive a start from either Carlos Carrasco or Danny Salazar in the postseason and also had to deal with a highly abbreviated start from Trevor Bauer in the ALCS due to a bizarre finger injury. Francona, though, leaned heavily on ace Corey Kluber and some expert usage of bullpen stars Andrew Miller and Cody Allen in order to maximize the team’s chances throughout the duration of the playoffs.
While the end result of his managerial savvy certainly wasn’t what Francona or the Indians had hoped, it did nothing but reinforce the stellar reputation that Francona has amassed throughout his 16-year managerial career. Francona has previously served as the manager of the Phillies (1997-2000) and the Red Sox (2004-11), winning a pair of World Series in Boston. He has a lifetime record of 1381-1209 (.533 winning percentage) as a Major League manager.
Smart move, Boston should have never let him get away
Good for Terry Francona especially after the way he was “thrown away” by the Red Sox.. I’m sure we will see Terry and the rest of the Indians when the World Series comes around again sooner rather than later.
Do not see a run like this again Amigo. By the way Francona never managed the Sox like he managed the Indians this year. In Boston he watched games, but in Cleveland he actually manages.
That’s probably because Cleveland didn’t have a bunch of prima-donnas playing for them like the Sox did when Fancona was their manager.. You can’t manage players that think they know everything or that don’t want to be managed like the Sox players of the early to mid 2000’s were.
I wonder if the Cubs will start to get the same kind of hater backlash now that they have won.
Great managers manage. Those prima-donnas helped him make a name for himself by ending a little 86 drought.
I couldn’t agree more, one word describes the way he was treated on his way out of Boston is, deplorable
Agreed, redsox brass and Boston media can be quite satanic
Not surprising. He played a huge role in getting the Indians as far into the playoffs as they got.
After 2004, a lot of the comments about Francona were that he could never pull it off with a small market team. I’d say this year cements Francona as one of the top managers.
If it was a battle of managers alone the Indians would have swept the WS.
You’re joking right? Did you miss when Maddon practically managed the Rays to the world series? These are two of the three best managers in baseball. It went to 7 for a reason.
Maddon is a great manager in a lot of ways but one of those isn’t his tactical prowess. Keeping players from getting their heads stuck up places they shouldn’t be and finding roles for guys to excel are great skills for a manager to have but he’s a very fortuitous tactician.
Are you kidding when maddon was with the rays went they the team that started while shift craze maddon is amazing
No, Joe Buck, I’m not kidding
It seemed like maddon was trying to lose game 7
To cover for Maddon’s tactics a lot of talented Cubs put in a lot of effort and STILL the World Series basically came down to a few avoidable giveaway runs from the Indians.
Nah, Cubs would win that one too in extra innings Game 7
Totally agree.
That move was a no-brainer. I hope the Tribe brings back Napoli and Davis.
davis yes, napoli no. napoli disappeared in the post season. adam lind would be a better choice.
indians need a rf.
Napoli was a big reason the Tribe was in the post-season. Plus, he’s a great clubhouse guy.
Francona outmanaged Maddon in the WS, this is a fact. Francona just lacked the replacement talent that he lost in Brantley, Salazar and Carrasco. Indians sweep the Cubs if those 3 play in the WS.
That’s like telling Maddon to go into the WS without Bryant and two from Arrieta, Lester or Kendrick – no way do the Cubs win with that handicap. Francona got his squad to game 7, that’s simply outstanding work in lineup creation, in-game play choices and bullpen use. They should sign him to a 10 year deal, he’s a master.
That is not a fact, that is an opinion. Simply stating “that it is a fact” makes your opinion no more or less correct than somebody else’s opinion that Maddon did a better job.
Talent, health, and luck… Is it fair to say that Maddon had more of all three of them?
I’m not sure Francona had much do with Bauer and tomlin suddenly becoming half good in the playoffs
Don’t forget Yan Gomes, his season was an injury riddled wash as well.
Cubs had a roster stacked with premium talent and double the budget, and still they pretty much only won game 7 with a couple unsolicited gifts from the Indians failing to execute as they previously demonstrated they could in a couple key moments.
Love picking his options up makes sense for the team he’s done a great job. I wanna ask this though if ur Francona who is your starting catcher next year?
All hail Tito.
Now they need to QO Napoli and go make a trade from strength to solidify RF and add another bat.
If I’m Antonetti, I’m calling my old friend Neal Huntington and saying, what do you think about a McCutchen for Bauer (or Salazar) + Francisco Mejia deal? It fixes two huge holes for the Pirates, allows them to call up Meadows and gives the Indians a big bat and guy they can slide into RF/LF and also tell the fans that they’re going for it again next year.
No way in hell does Napoli get a QO, they wouldn’t give him that much money for 3 seasons of play. No way in hell would they deal Salazar and Mejia for McCutcheon either, he’s been fading fast.
Don’t be so sure. The Indians could control Cutch for two years, put him in as the everyday RF, with spot duty in CF, and avoid having to piece together a Lonnie Chisenhall/Rajai Davis/Brandon Guyer platoon out there.
The Indians OF for the next two years looks like Brantley/Zimmer/McCutchen, with probably Guyer as the spot guy.
The Pirates get a #2 starter who has been frankly not very reliable for CLE (Salazar or Bauer) and their catcher of the future for when Cervelli inevitably goes down.
Plus, Pirates owner and notorious cheapskate Nutting, saves some salary in that deal.
That’s what we call a win/win trade.