The major offseason move for the Cincinnati Reds wasn’t the signing of a star player to boost their offense—it was the unexpected hiring of a future Hall of Fame manager. Terry Francona, who had seemed retired, was brought in to replace former manager David Bell after the 2024 season. This bold move was so significant that the 2025 Reds Media Guide features only Francona on its cover, bypassing top MVP and Cy Young vote-getters. The Reds hoped his experience and winning pedigree would be the spark to elevate them to the next level.
However, two weeks into the season, the optimism surrounding the move has begun to fade. The Reds sit at 5-8, tied for last place with the Pittsburgh Pirates. While it’s still early in the season, Francona’s decisions have raised questions. It started on Opening Day when the Reds lost a 3-2 lead in the 9th inning after Ian Gibaut gave up four runs. The choice of Gibaut as a closer, instead of Scott Barlow, confused many, and Francona’s post-game remarks only added to the uncertainty.
Offensively, the Reds have struggled mightily, scoring four or fewer runs in 10 of their 13 games, including four games with fewer than two runs. During Bell’s tenure, the Reds were often criticized for poor baserunning, a problem that Francona was supposed to fix. But already this season, the Reds have made several costly baserunning mistakes.
Another questionable decision came on Wednesday against the San Francisco Giants. With a 6-1 lead in the 6th inning, Francona left Nick Martinez in the game despite recent struggles. Martinez gave up hits and runs, and when left-handed reliever Taylor Rogers was brought in, he allowed more runs, letting the Giants close the gap. In extra innings, with the Giants’ winning run on third base and one out, the Reds chose to pitch to lefty Mike Yastrzemski, who then hit a walk-off home run.
While the players certainly have their responsibilities, it’s the manager’s job to put them in the best position to succeed. Despite Francona’s proven track record, the Reds are still making critical mistakes, and the hope that his arrival would fix these issues has yet to materialize. Fans are left wondering if the change at the helm will ultimately lead to the improvement they were expecting—or if they’ll see more of the same from a team that continues to lose games they should have won.
