Cleveland Guardians manager Terry Francona plans to return in 2023

CLEVELAND — Guardians manager Terry Francona plans to return in 2023. The negotiations were easy.

Francona made it through the 2022 season without any health-induced absences after he had his 2020 and 2021 seasons cut short due to health issues. In 2020, he dealt with gastrointestinal issues and a blood-clotting situation that had him in the ICU. Last year, he stepped away near the trade deadline to address multiple surgeries (one on his hip, the other on his foot) in an effort to be ready to go for this past spring and season.

The team has maintained its stance that Francona can remain the manager of the club as long as he wants to, and as long as it makes sense for him. The question has been more about how long Francona would like to manage.

"I do think it is important to reiterate, there was never a question in our minds of Tito returning," President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti said. "It was more just on what made sense for him. We’ve made it really clear: We want Tito to continue to manage as long as he wants to manage and it makes sense for him health wise. … The most important thing to Mike and I and to Paul Dolan, is that Tito has the life that he wants to have as a manager, but then more importantly as a grandfather and as a father after he’s done managing.

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"But if there comes a point in time where that doesn’t make sense, we’ll re-visit it then. But we’re just super grateful that Tito remains energized and enthusiastic about where we are and wanting to continue in the role he’s in."

Francona will effectively be managing on a year-to-year basis, although the team will welcome him however long he decides to remain in the game of baseball.

"I think we're just going to kind of go year-to-year. It's just the way it should be," Francona said. "With my health, and the way things — the organization's been too good to me."

The two sides spoke in early September to discuss Francona's future.

As it was described Friday afternoon, when Francona, Antonetti and General Manager Mike Chernoff met with reporters, it was a quick discussion.

Francona joked that it was a "very difficult negotiation." Chernoff joked that they had a "knock-down, drag-out [fight]" with his agent. Francona knows how the Guardians feel about him, and Francona has made it known how he feels about the organization. It was more to check in to see how Francona has felt about his own future.

Francona was asked if there were points during the 2022 season in which he thought he might not be back once the season concluded.

"I think the best way to answer that is that I probably gave thought to how long I wanted to do this more than maybe I had in the past," Francona said. "I don’t know that meant necessarily this year, but sometimes it can be tough and I put a lot on the coaches. I think I’m fortunate that we have coaches that whether I’m in the room or not, I trust it’s getting done just like it’s supposed to, and I’m thankful for that.

"I would also be lying if I said this group of players didn’t energize me. You don’t have a heartbeat if you show up and watch these guys play and not enjoy the way they play, boy that would be hard to understand."

As they described it on Friday, when they did sit down to talk, it was quite the scene. Antonetti joked that they first had to remove a hamburger off the computer.

"I don’t even know how to explain it. So we talked for all of about five minutes," Francona said. "I told Chernie when we were in Kansas City [in September], he was actually trying to help me and I said, ‘Chernie, I am sweating. My arm pits are soaked.’ This is the only place this could ever get done like it did. It was like … It wasn’t a negotiation. We just talked about things that are important to me, things that are important to them and then they tried to help me. That’s the best way I can put it."

Francona also wants to stay in part due to what he believes the Guardians are building following a 92-win season with baseball's youngest roster.

"If I had been anywhere else I'd probably already be home," Francona said. "I love the fact that we have something, I think, that could be pretty special here moving forward. I enjoyed the heck out of our players this year. I want to see that group grow and I'd like to be a part of that."

Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Guardians at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/cleveland-guardians. Follow him on Twitter at @ByRyanLewis.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Terry Francona plans to return as Guardians manager in 2023