CLEVELAND — Cleveland Guardians manager Terry Francona has agreed to return to the helm of the team for an 11th season after leading the youngest Major League team to the 2022 All-American Central title.
The 63-year-old Francona has not signed a new contract but said on Friday he intends to return next season. He’s had to deal with failing health for the past two seasons and will have to undergo another surgery next week.
Chris Antonetti, the club’s president of baseball operations, said Francona was welcome to lead the Guardians “as long as it makes sense to him.”
The Guardians went 92-70 to win Central. They swept the Tampa Bay Rays in the first round of the playoffs, before losing in five sectional series games to the New York Yankees.
A two-time World Series winner with the Boston Red Sox, Francona led the Indians-turned-Guardians to four Division titles and six playoff appearances and a World Series berth, lost to the Chicago Cubs in 2016.
