Terry Francona handed the ball to Mike Napoli on Friday night, and in doing so he may have handed the Cincinnati Reds their clearest clue yet about the future.
During the series opener against the Toronto Blue Jays, Francona stepped back and let his bench coach run the show. Napoli handled the pitching changes in the Reds’ 6-5 loss and later took over media duties after the game. Francona had already tipped his hand before first pitch, telling Reds radio voice Tommy Thrall about the plan.
"He said, 'I'm going to let Nap run the game today.' And, really, Mike Napoli has been one of Tito's top lieutenants in the dugout all season long," Thrall said.
"He's (Francona) going to serve as basically the bench coach for the game tonight. He's giving Napoli a chance to run the game, basically manage the team tonight."
That kind of move does not happen by accident, especially with Francona’s own future still hanging over the franchise. He has a club option for 2028, and while a return in 2027 looks likely, it is not hard to see the Reds eventually needing a plan beyond Tito. Francona was coaxed out of retirement in 2024 after health concerns played a major role in his exit from the Cleveland Guardians following the 2023 season.
The expectation around Cincinnati was that Francona’s pedigree would help steer the club back into the postseason in 2025. Instead, the season went sideways almost from top to bottom. The Reds now head into the offseason with plenty unsettled, and the looming lockout only adds another layer of uncertainty.
If Francona does decide to walk away for good, Friday felt like a strong hint at who he trusts to take over.
Napoli’s path to this point has been a winding one. He debuted in the majors in 2006 with the Los Angeles Angels, then joined Francona’s former team, the Boston Red Sox, in 2013.
His connection to Tito came later, when he signed a one-year deal with Cleveland in 2016. Napoli returned to Cleveland in 2018, but injuries kept him out that season, and he retired later that year.
After his playing days ended, Napoli moved into coaching with the Chicago Cubs, starting as a quality assurance coach in 2019 before being promoted to first base coach three years later. He left Chicago after the 2024 season and joined Francona’s staff in Cincinnati as a Major League Staff Assistant. After the 2025 season, he moved up to bench coach.
Napoli is not on the doorstep of a managerial job yet, but the résumé is starting to build in the right places. He has Tito in his corner, and that matters. If he stays in Cincinnati long enough, it is not difficult to imagine him as Francona’s successor.
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