Cleveland Indians Extend Terry Francona Through 2018

The Cleveland Indians and highly regarded MLB manager Terry Francona have agreed to a two-year contract extension that contains club options which could potentially keep Francona in Cleveland through 2020.

Terry Francona surprised a lot of people when he joined the Cleveland Indians after the 2012 season and it appears the 2013 AL Manager of the Year likes what he has on the North Coast. He has agreed to a two-year contract extension with two club options that could potentially keep Francona as Cleveland’s skipper through 2020:

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This is simply terrific news for Cleveland. Francona was expected to stay around, and the club had wisely downplayed his contract being up after the 2015 season, but you can probably bet the Indians front office began to get worried when they saw longtime

Tampa Bay Rays

manager Joe Maddon

bolt

for the

Chicago Cubs

(and for a massive contract, natch). Credit Cleveland for working quickly and getting their own elite manager to stay.

Francona famously won two World Series titles with the Boston Red Sox (2004 and 2007) and led Cleveland to the AL Wild Card game (in his first year with the Indians). Cleveland missed the playoffs in 2014, but under Francona, the Indians have played a grand total of two meaningless games (the final two games of the 2014 season). The change in culture has been noticeable, even to outsiders. The value of a manager might be hard to quantify, but it’s hard to find a negative spin for Cleveland fans here.

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