Cincinnati’s season has been defined by frustration, but Terry Francona says the people in charge have stayed on the same page through it all.
That’s why the Reds manager wasn’t caught off guard when president of baseball operations Nick Krall said over the weekend that he expects no major shakeup in either the front office or the on-field decision-makers. Krall suggested that he, general manager Brad Meador and Francona could all be back for 2027, even though Cincinnati is set to finish the season without a playoff berth.
For Francona, that kind of continuity matters.
“Everything. I think I was pretty, pretty honest and open about why, when those two guys came to visit with me in [2024],” Francona said of Krall and Meador.
“That's what got me to want to do it again. I value especially, maybe at my age now, the people, and it doesn't mean you don't go through tough times, because you do.
“But when you do, you want to be with people that you're aligned with and you care about, and they care about you and the things I [said Sunday],” Francona added. “That's how I feel."
The Reds have spent the season fighting through offensive inconsistency, and the numbers have been brutal. They’ve already suffered an MLB-leading 16 shutout losses. On a recent road trip through Los Angeles and Milwaukee, the lineup went quiet again, with Cincinnati outscored 47-10 in the final three games of a five-game skid before snapping it Sunday with a 4-3 win in Milwaukee.
Still, Francona said he values the way Krall and Meador handle the rough patches. While people outside the organization may expect blame to get handed around, he said that isn’t how this group operates.
"We commiserate together,” Francona said. “Again, the one thing I really appreciate is it's not who [screwed] up.
It's how we're going to make it better. That's a good way to go about things."
Asked directly before Monday’s game against the Dodgers at Great American Ball Park whether he believes this is the right group - front office and coaching staff alike - to help turn things around, Francona didn’t hesitate.
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Terry Franconas arrival in Cincinnati was always going to be about more than one season, but the discussion around his future is already stretching beyond the immediate push on the field. He has a guaranteed year left on his contract, along with a club option for 2028, and team president Nick Krall made it clear the Reds expect to keep talking with him about where this goes next.
Francona has also given the front office every reason to treat him like a long-term fit. He recently picked up his 2,103rd managerial win, and his relationship with the Reds brass has been described as strong, which matters in a job where trust can shape everything from roster planning to clubhouse tone. For now, Francona is focused on continuing to manage, but the fact that his future is already part of the conversation says plenty about how the organization views him. [Read more 🡒]
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Krall also took responsibility for the clubs poor performance, a notable admission for a franchise that has spent much of this stretch looking for traction. Cincinnati has some financial flexibility to work with, but any plan to use it will have to account for a thin roster and the possibility of an offseason lockout, which could complicate how aggressively the Reds can reshape things before 2027 arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers And Rays Just Exposed The Reds Biggest Front Office Problem
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For now, the expectation is that the current decision-makers will remain in place, even after another playoff outcome that leaves plenty of room for second-guessing. That matters because the critique around this front office is not about one move or one bad week, but about how the club uses its resources, how it chooses to spend and trade, and whether it can build a roster with the same kind of efficiency that keeps Milwaukee and Tampa Bay in the postseason picture. [Read more 🡒]